


Infinitive

by GingerEl



Series: Phonetics [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Beautiful soft boys, Because Sharing is Caring, Blow Jobs, Citadel, Coming Out, Domestic Bliss, Domesticity, Epilogue, Episode Ignis Spoilers, Episode Prompto Spoilers, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gay Rights, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending AU, Insomnia, Kinda, M/M, Minor Gladiolus Amicitia/Original Character(s), Noct gives a speech, Noctis Lucis Caelum Lives, Post World Of Ruin, Post canon, Rimming, Switch Noctis Lucis Caelum, Switch Prompto Argentum, Throne Sex, Weddings, chosen families, established relationships - Freeform, kind of happened, or two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:40:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25989889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GingerEl/pseuds/GingerEl
Summary: Noct does what he was supposed to do and the dawn comes for the first time in ten years and now all that remains is to put the world back together again.Ignis stands by Prompto's side, remarkably relaxed considering everything that’s happened.“It’s not what we were expecting,” Ignis concedes quietly.“No,” Gladio agrees, “But when is it ever.”“It’s better,” Prompto says, “At least to me, it’s better.”Ignis gently squeezes his shoulder.“It’s perfect,” Prompto breathes.Alternatively: Prompto thought he might be busy once the dawn finally came again but he didn’t expect to planning a wedding. Not for himself anyway.[Don’t be discouraged by this being the end of a trilogy y’all. This is just the Happy Ending AU my boys deserve. Just 20721 words of fluff and smut. This can totally be read by itself.]
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: Phonetics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569541
Comments: 18
Kudos: 82





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I’m back with my favourite boys that deserved better than canon could give them. Took me a while just because general life reasons and other writing but this was really fun what I got into it.  
> I’d intended it to be 100% angst free but then I found a way to make this feel like it could be canon so we have to take a brief detour to angst town. I’m pretty sure I more than make up for it though - it’s the kind of angst that only makes the canon sweeter. No rainbows without rain and all that. 
> 
> For something a little new from me a paragraph break denoted by these ~ ~ ~ indicate the start and end of a flashback. Though I think that’ll be fairly obvious.
> 
> Content warning - there’s some description of a corpse in this, nothing too graphic but take care of yourselves folks - it’s only in the first flashback so skip if you’re concerned <3

Prompto’s impressed how far they’ve come in under a year.

Impressed and awed and _overjoyed_.

Prompto’s not long back in Insomnia, returned from yet another fruitless trip to Niflheim with Aranea to try and find something, someone, _anything_ worth salvaging.

There hadn’t been, but there hadn’t been the last three times they’d been there either so Prompto doesn’t know why he keeps getting his hopes up. Especially when it’s a place that had never given Prompto anything but pain. He shouldn’t _want_ it to have found away to thrive during the Long Night, but he does.

Before their road trip Prompto had never gone particularly high in the Citadel but now he _lives_ here, a few floors above where he is now, hidden away on a balcony looking out on the ever expanding regrowth of Insomnia.

It’s coming together, it’s really, _really_ coming together. The whole world intermingling together and working together to make the future a little brighter.

Niflheim might be reduced to a mere few thousand survivors but they’re here and the citizens of Lucis are welcoming them with _mostly_ open arms. There will probably be some tension of course, at least whilst there are still people living that remember a time without daylight, legions of mechanical soldiers raiding borders and sacking family homes.

There’s a tap on the glass of the door Prompto left wide open and and he turns in time to see Delilah step through. She smiles at him first but then offers a respectful bow.

“Your Majesty,” she says.

Prompto startles, like he always does and then laughs.

“Not yet,” Prompto tells her.

She grins, shoulders shaking in a silent laugh.

“Ignis thought some of us ought to start calling you it early, to help you get used to it,” Delilah explains.

Prompto snorts, “If Iggy _ever_ calls me Majesty I’ll change all the tags in his jackets so he has no idea what he’s dressing himself in every day.”

“Cruel,” Delilah says.

“Did you need me?” Prompto asks.

“You’ve been requested in the throne room,” Delilah answers.

Prompto grins, “They’re done for the day?”

“All yours,” Delilah promises.

~ ~ ~

As the sun rises higher it fairly burns against the back of Prompto’s neck.

Prompto can’t look at it. Doesn’t want to look at it.

If it’s there then Noct is gone. Gone, gone, gone.

Prompto tosses his gun to the ground and it clatters noisily, skidding across the stone. Prompto wraps his arms around his legs, surprised that his grief isn’t noisier than this but wanting to bury his face and hide it from his friends anyway.

A hand comes to rest on the back of his head, warm and large and obviously Gladio.

“Prom,” Gladio says, voice rough and wet with his own tears.

“He’s gone,” Prompto whispers, “Gladio -”

Ignis gasps loudly and then the sound of footsteps is suddenly pounding up the stairs behind them.

“Ignis!” Gladio calls and he removes his hand from Prompto’s head. Prompto looks up in alarm, seeing Ignis sprint up the stairs. If it was any other blind man Prompto would be worried about him falling.

“Iggy!” Prompto shouts too, even though he’d ignored Gladio already. Prompto doesn't know what he was expecting to happen, his brain feels steeped in tar.

“Come on,” Gladio says roughly turning to follow after Ignis.

It takes Prompto a few second to get his feet under him properly, his legs shaky and uncoordinated but he was always the fastest flat out runner of the four - _three_ \- of them and he makes it to the top and into the entrance hall right on their heels.

“Ignis,” Gladio says urgently, close enough to grab Iggy’s arm and turn him around, “Stop. Tell us what’s going on?”

“There’s no time,” Ignis argues, “We have to get upstairs, _now_.”

Ignis pulls free from Gladio’s grasp and they have no choice but to follow him as he races back towards the bank of elevators. Everything is still lit up, bright and clean and something about that makes Prompto feel sick, like the Citadel should have ceased to exist right alongside Noct.

Prompto remembers how awful the elevator ride had been _down_ to where they knew Noctis was waiting for them _alive_ but its almost unbearable on the way back up, exacerbated by Ignis who takes _his_ turn to pace the small space, muttering just faintly under his breath, the whole way up. Gladio _tries_ to talk to Iggy, to get him to stop, or to explain but Ignis is filled with a single-minded focus that can’t be penetrated by his friend’s worry.

Prompto just huddles against the wall and prepares himself for how _awful_ what he’s about see will be.

Prompto doesn’t know in what manner Noct had to die to save the word. He hopes it was painless. Falling asleep. Vanishing into wherever it is the Crystal takes him -

It’s _worse_.

It's so infinitely worse than anything Prompto's brain had imagined.

 _Gladio_ gasps. Prompto’s knees give out.

“What?” Ignis demands, “What is it?”

That’s Noct’s father’s sword. Sticking out his chest. Pinning him to the throne.

Neither Gladio or Prompto can find the words to describe it to Iggy and he rushes off again, climbing the steps towards the throne. He slows at the top, hands reaching out, searching -

Ignis touches the metal of the hilt, fingers closing around it.

He tries to pull it free.

“Help me,” Ignis says, when the sword doesn’t give.

“Iggy,” Gladio says, voice strangled, “It’s too late -”

“ _Help_ me,” Ignis demands.

Gladio moves towards him then, taking the sword and managing to pull it free with a grunt of exertion. Noct’s body starts to slip and Prompto struggles to get his legs steady again, wanting to rush forward and catch him but Gladio throws the sword away from himself to swoops in to catch Noct cradling his body against his own. The sword clangs impossibly loud against a marble column as it falls and Prompto winces at the horrible noise.

Noct looks so small - so _frail_.

Prompto gets to his feet and staggers forward, hands outstretched and as simply sinks to the floor again Gladio lowers down too, setting Noct carefully on the ground so Prompto can cradle his face in his hands.

He’s so cold.

Noct’s _cold_.

The wound in his torso is open and bloody, blood seeping out onto his dark shirt.

Prompto pets across his pale jaw, mouth trembling, tears burning hot on his cheeks.

“It didn’t work,” Ignis says flatly.

“It was fate,” Gladio reminds him numbly, “His fate. We all knew -”

“No,” Ignis interrupts, “No, I had a plan. I – I though we could -”

“Defy the gods,” Prompto mutters.

Carefully Pormpto raises Noct’s right hand to his mouth, ignores the broken crystal at the centre of the ring and kisses the back of his fingers before folding it gently over his chest. Gladio kneels down at his left side and moves his left arm too, placing one of his huge hands over both of Noct’s.

“I had a plan,” Ignis says again.

Prompto realises that Ignis crying.

~ ~ ~

Delilah accompanies Prompto down in the elevator but steps neatly from his side at the door to the throne room, falling in beside Gladio who stands one side of the wide doors, Cor on the other.

“Argentum,” Cor says.

“Sir,” Prompto replies, nodding respectfully. To the two of them he asks, “Any trouble today?”

“Smooth sailing,” Gladio replies, “Nothing to report.”

“And your mission?” Cor asks.

“Nothing good,” Prompto says, “Details on both your desks.”

“Thank you,” Cor says, smiling just a little.

“Get the hell in there,” Gladio says, “Better not keep ‘em waiting any longer.”

Prompto grins and steps forward, pushing open one of the massive doors just enough to slip inside.

“There you are.”

Seeing him like this still takes Prompto by surprise, a little dread at first and then it clears, happiness flowing in fast to see his love, his King, his _fiance_ living and whole and happy despite all odds.

“Why are you so far away?” Noct calls from his seat still upon the throne. It was difficult, at first, for Noct to sit there, to be in this room at all but now, a year after the dawn Noct sits there like he was born to do it - comfortable and unafraid. Prompto still forgets sometimes that he _was._

“Just taking in the view,” Prompto retorts but he walks faster than his normal pace to the stairs leading up the dais and takes them two at a time.

Noct’s in full raiment today: cape, silver chains, medals. He’s unbuttoned his shirt a little, probably the moment the last petitioner left but he looks no less the monarch for it.

Noct shakes his head fondly, leaning forwardly eagerly when Prompto’s within reach and tilting his head up expectantly for a kiss.

Prompto, of course, obliges.

“Any luck?” Noct asks, when they pull apart.

“Empty,” Prompto says sadly, “Anyone that made it out of Niflheim alive did it before the Long Night. Probably before that.”

Noct winces. Prompto gets it. Census says its only a few thousand people.

“Any problems on the home front?” Prompto asks. Cor and Gladio had said not, but he trusts Noct to tell him is if something in particular is bothering _him_.

“Hmm. My fiance went missing, but he’s turned up again now,” Noct teases. Prompto laughs and kisses him again.

“I missed you, too,” Prompto admits.

And it’s true. Having been without him for ten years seemed to do nothing to help Prompto be separated from Noct for more than a few hours without some minor distress. Or perhaps _because_ they were apart for so long Prompto can’t bare it for very long at all; too worried three days will turn to three thousand.

Noct shifts back in his seat and lounges down a little, slouching casually. He pats his thigh.

Prompto half smiles and shakes his head.

“Oh, come _on_ ,” Noct complains, “No one really cares about dumb rules.”

The dumb rule being, that only Lucian Royalty are allowed to sit the throne. Prompto doesn’t _actually_ care either, but the tease has been going on for too long to back out now. Besides they’ll be married _soon_.

“I care,” Prompto lies, “ _Ignis_ cares.”

“Not enough that he’d do anything if he found out,” Noct mutters.

“Except he would, if he knew what you were _really_ after,” Prompto teases.

Noct pouts and Prompto grins at the expression on his grown up face. Prompto’s beard is long gone, face baby smooth almost all the time but Noct’s grown his in well now, a trimmed crop of dark hair highlighting the strength of his jaw.

Prompto bends down, nuzzling his nose against the soft scruff and dotting his jaw with little kisses until Noct sighs. Then he sinks to his knees between Noct’s thighs, careful not to touch any part of the actually throne. He passes his hands up Noct’s thighs, squeezing at the top and then running them back down to rest gently by his knees.

Noct makes a soft noise in the back of his throat.

“Missed you,” Prompto tells him again and dips forward to nuzzle directly over Noct’s crotch.

“Prom,” Noct murmurs, fingers threading into his hair.

Prompto reaches for Noct’s fly with one hand, getting the belt unbuckled and the button undone. Noct pushes his jacket out of the way with his free hand while Prompto works, and reaches to cup Prompto’s jaw. When his thumb traces across his bottom lip Prompto sucks it into his mouth.

Noct narrows his eyes when Prompto applies pressure with his teeth.

“Tease,” he complains.

Prompto snorts and Noct’s thumb pops free. He wiggles his hand into Noct’s pants to wrap around his burgeoning erection, grinning when Noct groans.

“Uh huh,” Prompto says softly, “ _Real_ tease.”.

Noct removes his hand from his jaw and uses it to grasp Prompto’s upper arm and pull him more upright, close enough to lean in for a kiss that turns deep all at once, tongue sweeping in the first opening Prompto gives him. Prompto palms Noct’s length, working it carefully with nimble fingers to get it to thicken and harden to its full potential.

Noct strokes his jaw one last time and then settles back against his throne again, widening his thighs to give Prompto more room.

Prompto continues to works him with his hand for a few moments, moisture pooling in his mouth in anticipation. He waits until Noct makes his first needy little sigh before dipping down to take Noct’s head into his mouth, steadying himself with a hand on his thigh.

Prompto takes him slow, wanting to work his lover attentively and thoroughly - make sure that Noct _really_ knows what he was missing for the three days he was away.

There’s also something thrilling about doing this _here_ in a room with people just outside the door with only their respect for their king keeping them outside. They probably know _exactly_ what’s going on in here and Prompto absolutely doesn’t care.

Inch by inch Prompto takes him deeper, until Noct’s burning the back of his throat in a delicious, satisfying pressure. Noct sighs, scratching the tips of his fingers pleasantly into Prompto’s scalp. The king murmurs something, too low for Prompto to catch but he doesn’t care, if Noct needed him to stop he’d make more of a fuss and that’s the only thing that _would_ stop him right now.

Noct’s thigh twitches under his hand and Prompto would smile if his mouth wasn’t busy. He slides back up to the tip and teases under the head with his tongue relishing the noise of Noct’s groan. Noct places his other hand on Prompto’s shoulder but he doesn’t press Prompto down further or press Prompto to take him deeper just clings on tight and _feels._

Sometimes Noct _does_ press for more, takes control, pins Prompto down or tells him to do what Noct wants him too and Prompto _lives_ for that but he likes this too, Noct sitting back and letting Prompto do what _he_ likes.

“Fuck,” Noct breathes out unsteadily.

Prompto bottoms out again. Squeezes Noct’s thigh.

Noct growls and pushes just gently on Prompto’s shoulder.

“Close,” Noct bites out.

Prompto redoubles his efforts, bobbing his head a little faster and letting Noct hit his throat roughly, almost gagging on the sensation so the convulsions massage Noct’s length.

“Shit, shit,” Noct gasps, foot shifting restlessly against the floor.

Prompto squeezes Noct’s tense thigh again, humming around his cock and Noct spills on the back of his tongue in a hot bitter burst, panting and gripping Prompto’s hair so tight it burns his scalp a little.

Noct slowly comes back around, slumping in the throne like a puppet with all his strings cut.

“You’re amazing,” Noct murmurs and Prompto pops up grinning from where he was busy making sure Noct was clean enough to tuck back into his pants.

“Told you,” Prompto says, “I _missed_ you.”

Noct hums and tugs Prompto’s body into his own. Prompto lets Noct lick into his mouth and sooth fingers over his aching scalp. Eventually Noct works his hands to Prompto’s hips to jostles him playfully for side to side.

“Lemme return the favour?”

Prompto’s hard, _obviously_ , but he shakes his head.

“Later,” he tells Noct and then leans in to kiss his pout.

“I did actually need to talk to you about something,” Noct admits.

Prompto levers himself back to his feet, groaning at the ache in his legs.

“Shoot,” he says holding out his hand for Noct and trying to suppress a shit eating grin when Noct has to pause to do up his pants before taking it and allowing himself to be pulled from the throne.

There are benches lining the room and they relocate to one of them, still holding hands, for whatever this conversation might be.

Prompto’s not _worried_ exactly but there have been very few time in his life when _I need to talk to you about something_ has been followed by good news.

“Ignis wants us to nail down a date for our wedding,” Noct explains.

It’s not the best thing that could have come out of Noct’s mouth but its also a thousand miles away from the worst.

Prompto shrugs, “You know I’m good whenever.”

Prompto both can’t wait to marry Noct _and_ would wait a thousand years to do so.

Noct looks a little sheepish, “And someone though we might want to televise it -”

“What,” Prompto blurts.

They’d gotten TV back relatively fast. Power hadn’t been a problem for a long time - just a little blip a few years into the long darkness - and it was just a matter of getting engineers and technicians in to set everything back up. At first it had just been a daily news broadcast, announcements of safe settlements, that kind of thing. But after a few months they’d started playing reruns of things from _before_ and hopefully, soon, they’ll start to make new things.

“After I said we shouldn’t spare the resources for an anniversary parade,” Noct explains, “They though it would be a good way for everyone to celebrate -”

“But that’ll - I thought. Not everyone is going to be happy you’re marrying a dude, _dude_ ,” Prompto says.

Noct snorts. “I told everyone I’m not having kids, I _can’t_ have kids. If they don’t like what we are they have no space in this new world we’re creating.”

“Right,” Prompto says, but still reeling from the idea that the entire world might be watching him get married.

They've not even announced it publicly yet. They're a bit of an open secret in the Citadel of course, and the world knows that Noct _has_ a partner but they've never confirmed it's Prompto.

“If you don’t want to we can say no,” Noct says, “Like if you don’t _really_ want to make it public. It’s all up to you.”

That’s not quite it, Prompto thinks. People knowing he loves Noct is not as terrifying as it was when he was a kid, not now he knows he’s loved back. But he’s never _quite_ gotten over the fact that several people looking at him all at once makes him desperately uncomfortable.

“Public is fine,” Prompto tells him, “But a public wedding seems _big_. Like, 'we might as well have let them throw a parade' big.”

Noct makes a thoughtful noise, “I said that. But promised to ask.”

“I’m sure there’s a compromise,” Prompto points out.

There always seems to be.

~ ~ ~

They get Noct out of the throne room and down the elevator mostly supported by Gladio but with Prompto tucked up under one of his arms like _he’s_ helping too.

Outside Noct seems to have finally lost the strange white glow he’d had since he startled back to life in Prompto’s lap. His shirt is still torn where he’d been pierced by his fathers sword, thick with blood, but the skin underneath it is perfect and smooth.

About halfway down the steps Noct asks to sit and carefully they help him to the ground. No one says anything when Prompto sits on the step behind him, Noct tucked up against Prompto’s chest so he doesn’t have to support himself and as many of Prompto’s limbs wrapped around him as possible.

Honestly, Prompto’s been crying pretty much since those blue-grey eyes had blinked up at him in shock and he just needs a little time to get it all out. Prompto presses his forehead against the back of Noct’s neck and soaks in his warmth, focuses on the feel of his chest expanding under his arms. Noct places his arms over the top of Prompto’s around his waist and clings on tight.

Ignis and Gladio both take seats too, a couple steps below them with their bodies twisted towards them.

“Ignis,” Noct says, voice rough, “ _Thank you_.”

Ignis takes an unsteady breath and says, “You being here is all the thanks I need.”

“But how?” Gladio asks, voice hushed.

“To put it simply,” Ignis says, “I asked.”

“Asked who?” Gladio asks incredulously, strength returning to his tone, “The Gods?”

Ignis nods, and then he tells them.

He tells them about putting on the ring in Altissia, prepared to sacrifice himself to save Noct. About fighting and beating Ardyn with the help of the Lucii but the Kings of Yore, admiring the strength of his loyalty had only taking his eyesight as payment.

 _Only_.

They had never asked. Not even once. Whatever had happened to Ignis’ eyes had never seemed as important as helping him deal with the fact that it _had_ happened. Ignis had ever brought it up and Prompto supposes they’d just followed his example.

Then Ignis tells them about his vision -

“A vision?” Noct asks.

Ignis nods, “They showed me a glimpse of the future. The course of things to come. I saw you - Noct, I saw you dying. Sacrificing yourself for all of us.”

They fall silent for a long while. Part of Prompto might be angry now, he thinks, that Ignis had known all along that Noct’s destiny was to die and allowed Prompto to bumble on thinking he’d get him back for good one day. He’s mad that Ignis had kept it from him, but also mad that Ignis had tried to shoulder the burden of that knowledge alone.

“That’s why you offered to turn back,” Noct muses, “In Altissia, when I woke up. You said that we could turn around and go home. It never made any sense to me - that you would let me quit.”

“Yes,” Ignis says.

“So you asked them _then_?” Prompto asks, “To save Noct?”

Ignis shakes his head and tells the rest of his story.

Some of it Prompto knows - how Ignis had been researching for Noct’s return, scouring old tombs and any texts he could get his hands on. What he was looking for, it turns out, was a loophole. Some way to save the world _and_ keep Noct with them when the dawn returned.

After eight years solid work Ignis had discovered that there wasn’t one, no recorded mention of a way to bring back the dawn and banish the Accursed without the King of Light sacrificing himself on his throne.

“What I _did_ discover was that you were likely to return at Angelgard,” Ignis tells them, “A place of incredible power that had once kept the Accursed secure and has long been steeped in history and magic. Ancient lore names it as the meeting place of the Gods themselves, their focus of power upon Eos.”

And Prompto remembers something, a year or so ago, where Ignis was going on another trip to _Galdin_ for _more research_ , he’d said when Prompto asked if it was important. Prompto had been due on a mission with Cor and Gladio knee deep in daemons by Malmalam Thicket at the time and he’d begged Ignis to put it off until at least one of them could come with him. But Ignis had promised to be safe and be back before they were. He’d visited Prompto in Hammerhead afterwards, tired but with _nothing special_ to report.

“You went there,” Prompto says, “When me and Gladio couldn’t come with you?”

“I thought it safer to go alone,” Ignis says, “I took a team of Glaives with me, had them deposit me on the Island and return a few hours later.”

“Reckless,” Gladio seethes, “You should have waited -”

“I did not know what the Gods would ask of me,” Ignis cuts in, “Merely for the chance to converse - if a sacrifice was to be made I would accept no other than my own and if had gone there and nothing had happened -”

“You didn’t want to get our hopes up,” Prompto finishes.

“The recorded reason for my visit was to leave a note for Noctis,” Ignis explains, “And the idea that he would return soon was the largest promise I could make if news of my trip got back to you.”

“But how did you do it?” Gladio asks, “Summon a God? Only Noct can do that.”

“I did nothing but arrive on Angelgard and wait. After sometime, Bahamut deigned to speak with me.”

Noct shifts in Prompto’s hold, straightening up a little.

“He didn’t say yes,” Noct says, “When you told me at camp. I barely had any hope, because he didn’t say _yes_.”

“Nor did he say _no_ ,” Ignis says as Prompto cuts across -

“You _knew_ \- Noct. You _knew_. That you might - that we might -”

Noct shushes him and twists enough to cup Prompto’s cheek.

“I didn’t _know_ anything,” Noct says, “Iggy didn’t know. And it didn’t seem right to tell you maybe, a one _percent_ chance of maybe I could stay. It would have hurt more, if you’d gotten your hopes up.”

Prompto knows that’s probably true, knows he’s right, but still feels himself pouting at his boyfriend. Noct leans forward and kisses him softly, a mere peck, but its the first time they’ve kissed since Noct died and he leans into it with his heart fluttering.

“What _did_ he say?” Gladio asks.

“He told me in no uncertain terms that the line of Lucis must end for the prophecy to be fulfilled,” Ignis explains.

“That’s what he said to me - well, to Luna,” Noct says, voice a little thick, “Because she was there - she fought for me. Convinced him to let her heal me and send me back.”

Prompto kisses his cheek.

“I was kneeling on Angelgard before Bahamut,” Ignis says, “Hopes dashed. When he suddenly said _I will consider your request_ , and vanished as simply as he had come. I didn’t know what to think. On one hand he had explicitly said _no_ and on the other he gave me just enough hope in my heart to tell Noct what had transpired when he returned.”

“So what does that mean?” Gladio asks, “You’re here now - your line hasn’t ended -”

“It will,” Noct says firmly, “I will be the last King of Lucis. I’ll sire no heirs, I promised them that much. _That_ was my sacrifice.”

Prompto squeezes Noct’s waist. _They_ couldn’t have had children anyway but Noct could have - come together with some political match and made pretty babies that, with any luck, Prompto would have been allowed to know. To be a part of their lives.

Gladio’s face looks stern but he nods.

“Can we get out of here?” Noct asks, “Go somewhere to rest?”

“Of course,” Ignis says quickly getting to his feet. Gladio helps Noct stand again and he’s steadier on his feet, Prompto’s hand in his and a hand on Gladio’s arm enough to keep him mobile.

They’re not quite at the bottom of the steps when they hear them.

It’s Cor, Prompto realises, trailed by every Glaive they have, racing up the long drive towards the Citadel.  
It takes Cor a minute to realise that Noct’s _alive_ and standing with them.

When he does he drops to his knees.

~ ~ ~

Prompto technically has his own suite at the Citadel, four doors down from Noct’s, where all his limited belongings reside.

Prompto’s not ever slept in it, not once, but for appearances sake - Ignis says - they need to remain separate dwellings until their nuptials. Noct makes a point to complain about it every day, twice, when Prompto goes to collect his pyjamas and then again in the morning when he goes to change out of them.

They head straight to Noct’s suite though, the royal chambers, with Gladio and Delilah flanking them. They wordlessly decide not to hold hands, at least not before the wedding is _officially_ announced, but they walk so close to one another that anyone that sees them can probably tell anyway.

Ignis is waiting for them inside and Delilah bids them a farewell at the door - Gladio tells her he’s got it covered and sends her off for the evening.

“So is Delilah low-key my Shield now?” Prompto asks.

He’s _been_ asking, for weeks. He likes Delilah plenty, so of all the people to have tailing him around the Citadel he’s pretty happy about it. But at the same time he doesn’t really _need_ it.

Mostly he’d just like to know.

Prompto kind of likes to call himself the future _Queen_ , just for the giggles and Ignis' eye rolls, and to make it seem less serious and daunting that soon he'll be _King_ Consort. As far as Prompto knows Queens and Consorts don’t generally get their own _Shields_. Unless they’re the reigning monarch, of course.

Prompto thinks Noct’s just kind of being over protective. They’ve never existed in a time where people are _less_ likely to try and assassinate the royal family. Plus the public don’t even really _know_ yet so Prompto’s probably not even going to get shot by some gross homophobe.

Maybe soon though if the announcement doesn't go down well.

Gladio snorts and Noct chuckles, just like always.

“I kind of hate you guys,” Prompto mutters petulantly, bustling off to join Ignis in the kitchen after hanging his jacket on the hook by the door.

Prompto’s not in his uniform today, having dressed casually for his trip back with Aranea but Noct’s in full raiment and immediately beelines for his bedroom to take off the oppressive layers.

Ignis will go in a minute to make sure he’s hanging it all up properly, Prompto’s sure.

Gladio settles down into an arm chair and Ignis’ hearing is a marvel because he asks, “Are you joining us Gladio? Is Ana coming also?”

“She’s uh -” Gladio hesitates and Prompto looks up sharply, worried something is going wrong with Gladio and his wife but Gladio eventually finishes, “Visiting her sister.”

There’s something definitely off about Gladio’s tone - and the fact that he’s here for dinner on a Wednesday - but Ignis doesn’t seem inclined to mention it and Prompto lets it go.

Albeit begrudgingly.

For now.

Noct comes out of his room, ratty sweats low on his hips and a thin t-shirt covering his torso. He comes up behind Prompto where he’s helping Ignis chop vegetables and wraps his arms all the way around Prompto, burying his face into blond hair.

Prompto’s maybe growing his hair out. He’s at least _thinking_ about it.

Gladio laughs and calls, “He was gone for three days you big baby.”

Noct lifts his head to he can pop his chin on Prompto’s shoulder and glare at his Shield.

“Key word: gone,” Noct complains, “Three days, three months, same difference to me.”

Ignis laughs softly, “I never expected Prompto to be the one of you with more patience.”

“Nah,” Gladio disagrees idly from the arm chair, “I always knew Noct was a little bitch.”

Noct flips Gladio off but his face is back in Prompto’s shoulder and he can feel Noct’s smile.

Ignis cooks them up a round of delicious steaks with a creamy peppercorn sauce and Noct even eats a small portion of steamed carrots when Ignis covers them a little extra sauce.

Something about knowing that there had been a time where the world he’d left behind had been worried about starving made Noct less willing to be fussy about what he eats.

He still doesn't _like_ them and he'll oull a stupid face but at least the carrots go in his mouth now.

So there’s that.

-

The sound Prompto makes feels ripped out of his very soul.

Noct looks down at him eyes seemingly aglow in the dim room. His grin is almost _feral_.

“N-noct,” Prompto gasps as his _fiance_ grinds his fingers against his prostate. Again.

Noct chuckles, his other hand moving steadily over Prompto’s cock, slow steady strokes that avoid his head and squeeze _just so_ whenever Prompto makes a particular noise.

“You said later,” Noct says, crooking the fingers inside Prompto in a slow drag, “Now is later.”

“You said -” Prompto chokes on his moan as he rolls his hips against Noct’s hand, “I thought you would -”

Noct drags his hand slowly up Prompto’s dick, twisting under the head before slipping back down.

“Thought I would what, baby?”

Prompto can’t answer. He’s too busy clenching his entire body against the urge to come, the pleasure and the pressure in the pit of his belly burning hot.

Noct shifts one of Prompto’s legs, hooking it up and over his arm so his fingers shift inside Prompto again so he cries out finger grasping at his pillow just for _something_ to hold on to.

“You’re normally such a chatter box,” Noct teases.

“Fuck me,” Prompto grits out, “I thought - I wanted you to -”

Noct hums thoughtfully, stoops to kiss Prompto’s thigh.

“Maybe after,” Noct says.

“Af-after?” Prompto manages to stammer out.

“Mmhm.”

Prompto hates - _hates_ \- how put together Noct sounds, how he seems completely unaffected by what he’s doing to Prompto while he writhes against the bed feeling completely out of control of his body.

Noct twists his fingers and tugs fast at Prompto’s cock and the blond makes another one of those noises - so sharp it sounds almost painful.

“Close huh?”

Prompto can’t actually speak obviously so he just pants into the sweltering air of their room. Bizarrely his brain manages to focus in on a single bead of sweat at his temple that builds up and slips down behind his ear.

Noct slows both his hands, the pressure inside Prompto almost unbearable and the grip around his dick glacial but firm like Noct’s trying to squeeze a release out of him in one smooth stroke. Noct runs his thumb across Prompto’s head, briefly stroking over his slit and then he rubs the three fingers inside him up against Prompto’s prostate again in quick little circles -

Prompto’s not sure if he makes any noise when he comes but _Noct_ does, a rough groan that lasts as long as it takes for Prompto’s cock to spurt a hot and messy release across his abdomen, Noct milking him the whole while - Prompto thinks it’ll never end.

Prompto can feel how careful Noct is as he pulls his fingers free, sliding out gently and trailing softly against the top of his trembling thigh as Prompto attempts to float back down to earth.

Noct continues to pet him as he recovers, joining his other hand into the soothing touches when Prompto’s hips attempt to jerk away from the continued pressure around his cock.

“Love you,” Prompto mumbles thickly making Noct laugh.

“I love you, too,” Noct says easily.

Prompto hadn’t really noticed that some of his come had flown up as high as his chest until Noct’s leaning down to lick across a trail of it beside his nipple - dropping a teasing nip to the distended bud on his way past.

Prompto releases his hold on the pillow to reach clumsily for Noct, grabbing hold of what he _thinks_ is Noct’s arm and attempting to tug him up and towards him.

“Kiss,” Prompto demands.

Noct laughs again but leans in to oblige, opening his mouth to Prompto’s questing tongue and - when Prompto gives another impatient tug - laying his body over Prompto’s solid and reassuring. It’s probably gross the way the mess on Prompto spreads to Noct too, but neither of them care, rocking together when Noct’s cock comes to lay hot and heavy and _damp_ against the divot of Prompto’s hip.

Prompto makes an involuntarily needy sound low in his throat and he’s pretty sure, if they were still twenty, his cock would already be answering in kind again.

Finally managing to take a breath that is deep and satisfying Prompto pecks Noct’s lips again and asks, “Is it after yet?”

Noct ruts his hip gently against Prompto’s and questions back, “Don’t you want a breather?”

Prompto thinks about waiting - about waiting until he’s hard again or at least most of the way there - but it feels like a suggestion way too dumb for the ruler of a whole Kingdom to have made.

“Not even a little bit,” Prompto says.

Noct shakes his head fondly, dipping to kiss Prompto again while his hips roll gently. He lets out a soft groan, little more than a sigh.

“Could come like this,” Noct admits.

Prompto tries to spread his legs wider, lewdly attempting to show off where his hole is split open and ready for the taking. Noct can’t actually see of course but Prompto thinks Noct should be able to understand what he’s getting at regardless.

“Be a shame to waste this,” Prompto says, attempting a mischievous smile.

Noct nudges his face to side, still shifting his hips, so he can kiss across Prompto’s neck and lick behind his ear.

Prompto whines, the same noise he makes when Noct is being a tease and only giving him half his dick or riding him _too_ slow.

It never fails.

“Fuck,” Noct mumbles, “This is how we’re gonna die,” he says but reaching down between their bodies to line up against Prompto’s entrance, “We’re just gonna fuck to death, I can see it already.”

Prompto laughs gently, choking on it as Noct starts to slide in - he’s over sensitive and tender already but its still _amazing_. Prompto’s pretty sure he’ll get hard again, but Noct might have to jerk him off fater maybe because he’ll never last long enough to fuck another one out of Prompto. Not if the noise Noct’s making as he bottoms out is anything to go by.

Also they’re in their thirties now, sure, but they’re not magic. Any more at least.

Prompto’s half right in the end, Noct comes before Prompto can but his dick is still inside Prompto when makes him come a second time.

Maybe he passes out immediately after that, but when he wakes up in the morning he’s not so sure.

~ ~ ~

Ignis smooths his hands over the shoulders of Noct’s raiment a familiar act of reassurance and aid that Prompto thinks will never fade.

“Are you nervous?” Prompto asks softly.

Noct shrugs and Ignis’ hands still upon his shoulders.

“What are your concerns?” Ignis questions.

Probably a lot of things, Prompto thinks. He’s only got to stand guard while Noct holds court as King for the first time but _he’s_ nervous.

There’d been a hasty crowning a few days ago that amounted to Noct dropping to one knee before Cor and having the crown that had once resided on his fathers head placed upon his own. Ignis had been the one to remember the rules - obviously - that involved the most senior member of court officially crowning the new King.

There had been some debate there about who actually was the most senior member of Noct’s court since it had been reduced to little more than a ramshackle military. Prompto had learnt several things in a short amount of time - Ignis, it turns out, has little authority when he’s not talking on behalf of Noct _and_ with the death of Clarus Gladio had been catapulted right to the top of the military.

Cor had rather awkwardly pointed out that, on paper, Gladio outranked him and Gladio had _balked_ backing away from the Marshall like he was shifting into a daemon before their very eyes.

Something in Gladio had revolted at the idea of crowning his friend, unable to process the concept and Noct had simply asked Ignis to hand Cor the headpiece and then sunk down to his knee. Ignis had muttered some words to Cor who had recited them for the assembled witnesses - Noct’s retinue, a handful of Glaives and a small delegation from Accordo.

It was enough, everyone said. No one was likely to deny Noctis anything after all. Noct after what he’d been willing to do for them all.

“Come on,” Gladio goads now, “Spit it out.”

It’s such a Gladio thing, a shot of nostalgia, for him to encourage Noct this way that they all smile.

“I don’t know,” Noct admits, “It’s not the people, it’s - something else.”

Prompto gives Noct an encouraging smile and kisses his cheek right before they exit the small room just off the Hall of History.

Noct shudders a little as they step into the grand space and, in hindsight, that should have prepared them for what happens when Noct walks into the throne room proper.

He makes a choking noise, a half sob half gasp and crashes down to his knees.

“Woah,” Gladio blurts, reaching for Noct and bracing him so he can’t fall further.

Noct’s panting, struggling like he can’t catch his breath and trying to fold in on himself.

“Slowly,” Ignis tells him, “Breath _slowly_.”

Prompto crouches down before Noct and Gladio shifts around so Prompto can get directly in front of him.

Carefully Prompto reaches for him, one hand on a shaking shoulder and the other trying to cup his jaw. It takes a moment but eventually Prompto coaxes Noct’s head up to meet his eyes.

Noct’s mouth trembles.

“It’s okay, you’re safe,” Prompto says.

Prompto fights away an image of King Regis running his sword through Noct’s chest and skewering him to his throne. Imagines how much harder it would be to fight off if he’d been there when it happened - been the one it happened to.

“I’m sorry,” Noct manages, voice wet but face remarkably dry.

Prompto shakes his head just a little, “I love you.”

Noct inhales sharply and then pulls free from Gladio’s grip to press his face into Prompto’s chest.

He sobs. Just once.

“It’s okay,” Prompto says again, petting over his hair and across his shoulder, “We’re going to get you out of here.”

Prompto looks up at Ignis in time to see him nod decisively.

“A moment to move everyone and then we’ll get you back to your chambers,” Ignis says kindly, “I’ll be as fast as I can.”

Ignis strides away at once and Noct just continues to tremble in Prompto’s hold. Gladio shifts about until he can brace the two of them, one large hand supportively on both their backs.

“We’ve got you,” Gladio says to Noct.

Prompto kisses the top of Noct’s head as his king slowly trembles and shakes back to his former self.

~ ~ ~

A series of insignificant but unfortunate events means that Prompto is only just in the elevator and heading to his floor at ten o’clock. He’d missed an Ignis cooked dinner but eaten with a few of the Guard - and hunters _turned_ guards - in the main hall.

Gladio’s visiting Amicitia manor, his original disinterest in the place’s renovation having evaporated from no where so it’s Cor standing guard outside Noct’s - and Prompto’s - chambers while he’s away. Delilah’s tailing Prompto again but she’s picked up on his mood - tired, a little frustrated - and simply shadows him at a distance, giving him as much space as possible in the small square elevator.

Prompto’s not mad at Gladio, not at all, but if _he_ had been in the Citadel today then Cor wouldn’t have been overseeing Noct’s security for today and he would have been there to put out the cluster fuck of problems that had bubbled up in the training facilities today.

Side note: is Prompto somehow second - third? - in command? When did that happen? How can Prompto make it stop?

Cor nods at him as Prompto shoulders the door to Noct’s chambers open but Prompto can only manage a weak smile in return.

“Hi honey, I’m home,” Prompto calls wearily as he kicks off his shoes and sheds his jacket. Right onto the ground.

Noct’s not going to say anything about it and Prompto couldn’t give a damn.

“Bad day?” Noct calls.

Prompto wanders in the direction of Noct’s voice and finds him sat at the desk they’d set up by one of the huge windows, leafing through a report.

It’s still sometimes a bit strange to walk in and find Noct so alert at this time of day. Not that Noct didn’t like playing video games until 3am with Prompto or going to midnight showings at the movies - because they were always quieter - but there was always something a little diminished about him the later in the day it was.

Now he can stay up late and its not a fight to get him out of bed in the morning. Noct still _loves_ sleep of course but Prompto’s starting to understand how legitimately painful it used to be for him, how much energy was taken from Noct just to exist in a world alongside the crystal.

“Just annoying,” Prompto tells him.

Noct pushes the file back and scoots his chair back a little so he can tap his own thigh beckoning Prompto over. Prompto patters over, climbing straight up to straddle his thighs. He presses his face into the King’s neck and lets out a sigh - probably a little more dramatic than his day warrants.

“Aw baby,” Noct coos, stroking his back with strong hands.

Prompto smiles and wraps his arms around Noct’s shoulders in a tight squeeze.

“Did you remember to eat?” Noct asks.

Prompto hums an affirmative and presses a kiss to Noct’s throat. He gets a little squeeze on one of his hips in return.

“You ready for bed?” Noct asks.

“Aren’t you busy?” Prompto checks.

Noct shrugs, “Just getting ahead for tomorrow while you were still working.”

“Comfy here,” Prompto sighs and Noct chuckles fondly.

Noct nudges him until he shifts enough for them to share a proper kiss, warm and deep and _long_.

“Iggy wants to have breakfast with you tomorrow,” Noct says gently, fingers idly playing with the hair at Prompto’s nape.

Prompto pouts, “There goes my lay in.”

Noct laughs and leans in conspiratorially, “He said he’d make you waffles.”

Well that is something else all together.

“Fine,” Prompto says with false irritation, “What does he want me for?”

“Wedding stuff.”

“But we haven’t planned anything yet,” Prompto reminds him.

Noct jostles him, pretends like he’s going to tip Prompto from his lap and when Prompto’s upright and giggling Noct says, “I think that's kind of the point.”

“Can’t we just get married with like Iggy and Gladio and Iris and Ana and Cor and Talcott and Aranea and no one else.”

“Monica and Cid will be upset,” Noct says, “And poor _Cindy_.”

“Them too,” Prompto agrees.

Noct smiles, “If that’s what you want.”

Prompto rolls his eyes because he knows he can’t really have that. To marry Noct, to marry the _King_ , there’s other things he had to consider. They have to think about more than just the two of them.

“Hey,” Noct says almost sharply, and he cups Prompto’s face with both palms, squishing his cheeks, “I mean it. If that’s what you want then we’ll make it happen. I promise.”

Prompto smiles and leans in to kiss his fiance again.

\- - -

Prompto wakes to the smell of sweet things being baked in his and Noct’s kitchen so he wriggles out of Noct’s hold - who remains dead to the world - and stumbles out of their bedroom.

“Morning Iggy,” he says around a yawn, scratching his chest.

“Good morning,” Ignis calls back as he’s sliding a tray of muffins out of the oven and onto a cooling rack.

“Do I need to wake Noct up?” Prompto asks.

“No, no,” Ignis says quickly, “These are for Noct when he finally joins, I’ll start on our waffles when you’re ready.”

“Always ready for your waffles,” Prompto says, then, “Am I still half asleep or did that sound dirty?”

“You’re still half asleep,” Ignis says without pause.

It takes Ignis just a few minutes to mix up the batter but then he’s covering it and sliding it into the fridge to _rest_ for a while. Prompto just about managed to get himself a cup of coffee in the meantime and joins Ignis as the kitchen table a smidgen more alert than he was before.

“I hear you’d like a private wedding,” Ignis says with no preamble.

“What I want isn’t particularly important,” Prompto says, cradling his warm mug.

Ignis sighs, “What you want is vitally important. Not just to Noctis but to all of us.”

“Okay. Then I really don’t want you to call me _Majesty_ once we’re married,” Prompto tells him at once.

Ignis laugh, shoulders shaking a little, “I suppose I can be amenable. You’re worse than he is, honestly.”

“At least Noct was _born_ into it,” Prompto mutters.

Ignis tilts his head slightly, raising one hand and Prompto knows that the little ear-piece he wears must be reading him a text or alerting him to an email. Ignis shakes his head slightly.

“Everything okay?” Prompto asks.

“Some pointless nonsense,” Ignis tells him with a wry smile, “Now. What are your concerns with a public wedding?”

“Everyone looking at me,” Prompto says immediately, “And, you know, the cost. If Noct wouldn’t justify the cost of a parade I don’t understand why he’s considering this.”

Ignis looks at Prompto like he used to way back when - when Prompto would do one math problem perfectly fine and then somehow forget the equation to do it again for the next problem.

“Noct was worried that a parade would be all about him and didn’t think he was worth it, but a wedding. _Your_ wedding. Now, that would be all about _you_ wouldn’t it.”

It takes Prompto’s brain a second to put that in simple terms, but when it does -

Noct doesn’t think that _he_ is worth the frivolous use of resources but he thinks Prompto definitely is.

Noct tells Prompto he loves him every single day, at least twice most days, yet sometimes the depth of that still takes Prompto by surprise.

“Oh,” Prompto says, mostly so Ignis knows he heard him.

Ignis stands and heads back over to the fridge, “Food first. And then we’ll try and come up with a compromise.”

Noct’s roused by the smell of the waffles and Prompto hears him bumbling about in their bathroom for a while, emerging only when Ignis and Prompto _might_ have something of an idea prepared.

The King of Lucis stumbles into the kitchen, dropping a kiss against Prompto’s head with a whispered _I love you_ before taking one of Ignis’ muffins and cramming the whole thing into his mouth at once.

\- - -

Noct had seen somewhere that they were going to start showing some dumb TV show they’d watched as teenagers right from the beginning and thus - Noct said - his and Prompto’s Wednesday and Sunday evenings had purpose for the foreseeable future.

About fifteen minutes in though Noct scoots his hand across Prompto’s thigh and turns his head from where it was resting innocently on Prompto’s shoulder to nose across his jaw. And well, what happens after that is kind of inevitable.

Noct arches his back for Prompto’s hand as it slips between him and the couch to palm across his ass. Prompto only gives him a few gropes over the fabric of his sweatpants before giving in to temptation and slipping beneath to feel flesh against his palm. Noct hums contentedly, twisting his fingers into Prompto’s hair to anchor their mouths together.

Prompto shifts a little to try and get a better hold on his fiance and Noct takes the opportunity to spread his legs a little wider and hook them higher up on Prompto’s waist. It presses their erections together and Prompto gives a low groan in pleasure.

Noct gives another hum and strokes down the length of Prompto’s spine with the hand not tangled in blond locks.

Prompto pulls away a little, just for a quick breath and to nip at the fullness in Noct’s bottom lip.

“Hey,” Noct whispers, “Stay up there?”

Prompto grins feeling oddly powerful and says, “I can do that.”

Prompto dips his hand further inside Noct’s sweats to press teasing fingers against his entrance. Noct inhales a little sharply and starts to tug at Prompto’s t-shirt so he removes his hand a little begrudgingly and sits back to do so.

“I need to get stuff,” Prompto says almost apologetically when Noct whines as he makes to leave the couch. Noct hooks one knee around Prompto’s thigh so tight that Prompto daren’t move for fear of dislocating one or both of their knees.

“Nuh uh,” Noct says twisting himself to reach for the coffee table. Noct manages to hook his finger around the handle and yank the draw open and Prompto laughs when a bottle of lube rolls to the front of it.

“When did you put that there, huh?” Prompto asks, reaching for it. Noct finally unhooks his legs so Prompto can shift to reach for the bottle, lifting his hips up and sliding his sweats all the way off.

Noct starts lazily stroking his dick as Prompto comes back, squeezing lube over a couple fingers.

“You remember when we were messing around in the kitchen?” Noct asks.

How could Prompto forget?

“And you went to get the lube but you slipped on that wet tile on your way back?”

It had taken a full two weeks for the bruise on his ass and thigh to fade completely away. The incident had rather spoilt the mood too so instead of bending Noct over the kitchen island like he’d planned Prompto had laid out on the couch with his head on Noct’s thigh and an icepack on his ass ignoring the way Noct’s whole body was shaking with suppressed laughter.

Prompto pushes his bottom lip out in a pout and Noct titters to himself right up until the moment Prompto passes his wet fingers over his hole.

It always amazes Prompto when they do it like this, first that Noct lets him do this in the first place and then by the time he’s finally over _that_ he gets to be amazed by the way Noct opens up for him, eager and relaxed all at once.

Noct does drop his dick all at once when Prompto starts to edge a third finger in and Prompto huffs slightly, reaching to push Noct’s t-shirt up to his armpits and expose his pretty chest. Noct doesn’t have a scar, which is probably better for everyone involved, but Prompto does like to press a kiss against where the wound _was_ every so often.

He does it now and Noct sighs, gripping Prompto's hair again to tug him up for a kiss while Prompto twists his fingers inside him in a way that makes Noct’s back arch and groan in the back of his throat.

Noct pushes at the waist of Prompto’s sleep pants until they;re hooked under the curve of his ass, hard on free to nudge at Noct’s thigh, smearing a damp sticky trail along pale skin.

“Now please,” Noct mumbles against his mouth.

Prompto slides his fingers from Noct - who whines even though he knows there’s no way from Prompto to leave his fingers inside _and_ get on with fucking him - and uses the residual lube to slick up his length. Noct shifts one of his legs to the back of the couch, Prompto hooks the other around his arm and hold the base of his cock steady a he starts to press inside.

“Yes,” Noct hisses, tilting his hips up to make this initial press easier.

Prompto sighs as he bottoms out, leaning forward to press their chests together and dropping Noct’s leg so it comes to rest more naturally around his hips.

“You feel amazing,” Prompto tells Noct, pulling back and then thrusting back in languidly.

Noct hums and rocks his hips up into Prompto’s slow thrusts.

They move together like that, not really chasing the end but just relishing the togetherness of the moment.

Eventually Noct gasps and tugs Prompto impossibly closer so his dick is trapped between their abdomens rocking his hips a little more urgently. Prompto follows his lead, thrusting a little rougher but no faster, the slap of their skin audible and precise in the room.

“I got you,” Prompto murmurs, getting a hand between their chests to he can thumb gently at Noct’s nipple. He’s actually _more_ sensitive that Prompto is but in a way that makes anything more than this gentle touch almost no fun at all.

Noct keens softly and presses his face into Prompto’s shoulders, shuddering through the next half a dozen thrusts as his body builds and builds and builds until its spilling over, warm spurts that smear against their bellies as Prompto continues to rock into him. Prompto’s own release feels suddenly imminent as Noct clenches around his cock, pretty little cry buried in Prompto skin and nails biting into the muscle of his shoulder.

“Please,” Noct begs, “C’mon, Prom, please.”

Noct’s grabbing his ass then, one hand sliding between his cheeks to press against his hole, just a light teasing brush but Prompto cries out shoving his hips roughly against Noct’s as he comes hard inside him.

They’re both a little shivery as they come down so Prompto grabs the blanket off the back of the couch to drape over them and shoves - despite his grumbles - Noct’s discarded sweats onto the couch underneath where they’re joined to try and catch some of the mess when Prompto inevitably slips free.

“Thanks,” Noct mumbles against Prompto’s hair.

Prompto shifts slightly to prop his chin on Noct’s chest and look at him in confusion.

“For fucking you?” he asks even knowing that _can’t_ be it.

“No dummy,” Noct says with an eye roll, “For being here. For putting up with -”

Noct gestures at the general space around him and Prompto readjusts the thanks in his mind to mean _thanks for putting up with my royal ass_.

“Wouldn’t want it any other way,” Prompto murmurs sincerely.

Noct snorts and pulls Prompto up a little to nuzzle their noses together. The gesture is so sweet it makes Prompto’s heart clench almost painfully.

“You don’t mean that,” Noct says.

“Only because _you_ want it different,” Prompto says kissing Noct’s nose and making him blink in surprise, “I’ll take you anyway I can thank you.”

“Even a needy bottom bitch?”

“ _Especially_ a needy bottom bitch,” Prompto teases and Noct pulls him in for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said in Conjunction that top!Prompto was a thing I was uncomfortable with and I got a few encouraging messages so I give you some here too, a little practice, and a proper demonstration of how equal I imagine their relationship to be. It was a little less difficult this time.  
> Read on for wedding fluff and precious soft boys - also an epilogue to the epilogue I guess. You’ll see.  
> [Split this into two halves purely to make reading more manageable.]


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another reminder that this ~ ~ ~ means a flashback. Wedding fluff ahoooooy!

Insomnia isn’t _quite_ the same as it was before it’s fall. Logic meant that rebuilding had started in the centre, with Noct - and his team - ear marking much more land to stay green and natural than the city had before the fall.

 _But_ they're at the point where you can go out at night and find a dozen fast food places that have sprung up since the rebuilding began, every type of food you could probably think of.

Noct is kind of fussy. Old news.

Even if you take into account the fact he’ll eat some vegetables now without fuss he still has a _tonne_ of food peculiarities.

He’ll eat sliced tomatoes in a burger but will pick around cherry tomatoes that land on his place. Brown rice apparently _never tastes cooked_ no matter how fluffy Iggy makes it and sliced banana inherently tastes different to a banana you bite into. Apparently.

Noct’s had a rough day though so Prompto really wants to treat him.

He’d gotten out of bed at six to go to a council meeting, then held court in the throne room where he’d had to deal with a particularly boisterous crowd. They weren’t asking for anything that Noct could not nor would not provide them but they came in assuming he’d would say no and even Ignis said the whole thing was both ridiculous and exhausting.

 _Then_ he’d had to entertain a delegation from Tenebrae that had arrived unexpectedly - an error in the translation of calendar dates that Ignis will quietly seethe over for weeks even though he's not at fault.

All told Noct had arrived back at their quarters just before eleven o’clock exhausted and starving but in a mood where absolutely none of their food seemed at all enticing.

And so Prompto shoulders into the all night burger joint with a reusable tote full of Noct’s favourite sodas and chocolate bars under the other arm.

A guy turns at the sound of the door and nods at him from the counter.

“What can I get ya?”

“Two double cheese burgers, one with no lettuce but extra onions - you still doing the mozzarella stick?”

“Sure are,” they guys says scribbling on his pad, “Any fries or anything?”

Prompto shakes his head, “Nah, I need to go get those from the chicken place across the road but whatever your largest order of onions rings is would be great.”

The guy looks up sharply, “What?”

“Sorry. Got a fussy eater,” Prompto explains, flushing lightly, “Won’t eat crinkle cut.”

He laughs, “Pregnant wife? Girlfriend?”

Prompto snorts, “Something like that. You mind if I pop over to get those while these cook?”

The guy waves him away, still laughing, and thirty minutes later Prompto’s sneaking back into the Citadel via one of the staff entrances with a bag of take-out in each hand.

Prompto had snuck out with the _truly ingenious_ move of pretending he needed something from his own quarters and then quietly making his way along the hallway to the elevator at the other end.

He’s not _quite_ so lucky sneaking back in.

Gladio grabs him by the scruff of the neck the moment he steps out of the elevator onto his floor.

“Give us all a heart attack why don’t you,” Gladio grumbles.

“I told Noct I was going out,” Prompto argues. Noct had asked him to take someone, Prompto had said no. It was a whole thing.

“ _Out_ isn’t a good enough location,” Gladio says on a sigh. He sniffs, “Are those fries?”

Prompto grins. He’s a good friend so he made sure all of his friends’ needs would be taken care of - read: food for Gladio and nothing but two cans of Ebony dark roast for Ignis.

“Got you fries and a five piece,” Prompto says, opening the bag and rooting for the box in question.

Gladio sighs again, “You’re forgiven, I guess.”

“Will you take Iggy the Ebony I got him?”

Gladio nods and waits with a hand out for Prompto to procure the drinks.

“And also maybe get Noct a lay in tomorrow?”

“Already sorted,” Gladio says immediately, “Ignis is going to take the delegation on a tour of the rebuilding of west quarter - Noct won’t need to be available until after lunch.”

“Perfect,” Prompto says starting towards Noct’s door and waving over his shoulder, “I owe you one.”

“You owe me nothing if you just remember to _take Delilah with you_ when you go off like this,” Gladio calls at his retreating form.

Prompto’s still smiling when he kicks the door closed behind him, kicking off his shoes and momentarily putting the bags of food down to shed his jacket.

“Babe?” Noct calls tiredly from the bedroom.

“It’s me,” Prompto shouts back, “Two secs.”

“Where did you go?” Noct asks as Prompto presses into their room. Noct’s got nothing but the lamps on, TV playing some mindless re-run Prompto doesn’t recognise. There’s a discarded protein bar on the bedside table with a single bite taken out of it like Noct had forced himself to _try_ but gotten through the first bit and then given up.

“Bought you food,” Prompto explains, setting the bags down on the bed.

Add that to the list of things he doesn’t tell Ignis about.

Noct’s face goes all soft, “Really?”

Prompto grabs out a burger, checks there’s no lettuce and then passes it to Noct, waiting from him to brace the box on his lap before grabbing one of the portions of fries from the other bag and upending them in the empty half of the burger box.

“Are those from -?”

“Yeah,” Prompto says, “Got all your favourites. You want a cherry soda or plain? Then there’s about eight candy bars for you to chose from.”

“I - what?”

“Cherry or plain?” Prompto asks again, holding the two cans out.

Noct blinks. “Um, cherry I guess - Prom. How many places did you go?”

Prompto looks up from here he was un-sticking two mozzarella sticks to portion them out between them.

“Huh? Just everywhere that does the stuff you like - you didn’t know what you wanted so I just went with old faithfuls, you know?”

“I fucking love you,” Noct blurts.

“I know,” Prompto teases, “I love you too. Now eat your burger and I promise not to say anything when you dip these mozzarella sticks in ketchup.”

~ ~ ~

Ignis and Prompto are already waiting on the steps of the Citadel, on the mid-point that spreads wide and deep enough for a podium to be placed and public addresses to be given. Prompto had watched King Regis give them on TV as he was growing up but hadn’t ever attended one in person.

It’s kind of wild to be here now, stood _behind_ the place the King will stand, a member of his retinue and guard. And all the other stuff he is to Noct too, but most of the people gathered below don’t know about that.

Noct is slowly getting used to the throne room again, able to walk through it with relative ease though _Prompto_ still flinches every time he sits down in the chair that had killed him.

Noct couldn't spend long in there yet without coming out exhausted from the effort of just keeping himself together. He promised it was getting easier though and Prompto can only hope that eventually it will become completely effortless.

That was the only upside to Noct giving him this address, it was much easier to televise it from the steps of the Citadel.

Words and rumours had spread throughout Lucis of how Noct had banished the Long Night but for a majority of the population not official words had reached them yet.

This was Noct's chance to speak to them all at once.

Whatever it was he felt he needed them to know.

“So how is it?” Prompto asks, only half turning his head towards Iggy so he can keep an eye on the crowd, “Noct’s speech.”

“I beg your pardon,” Ignis says slowly, “But Noct has been practising his speech with _you_.”

It takes all of Prompto’s limited formal military training not to reel back in shock.

“Um. No?” Prompto says, “I asked if he wanted to practice and he always says he’s tired from going over it with you.”

Ignis lets out a rough breath of air, “He told _me_ he was tired from practising it with _you_.”

Prompto processes that for a minute and says, “So no one knows what Noct’s about to say? To the whole world?”

“Apparently not,” Ignis says a little coolly. Prompto’s not offended by it, it one of the only ways that Ignis ever betrays his nerves.

“Well shit,” Prompto murmurs.

It’s not that Prompto doesn’t _trust_ Noct, because of course he does, he trusts Noct more than he trusts anyone or anything in the whole entire universe. But.

 _But_.

Noct has only the tiniest inclination towards actually being King and Prompto would be lying if he said he’d be shocked were Noct to get up there and abdicate the damn thing to Ignis.

Secretly Prompto kind of digs the idea, he and Noct could go off to a cabin in the woods where where Noct can fish all day and Prompto can earn their money by being a chocobo riding delivery boy - sell photographs online when the world picks up again.

Not that he's put any thought into it or anything.

The doors to the Citadel open and there’s a swell of noise from the assembled crowd which falls away as Noct descends the stairs with Gladio just behind him. By the time Noct’s stood behind the podium a hush has fallen. Gladio takes up position beside Prompto, closest to Noct.

Noct carefully spreads a single sheet of paper over the podium and then looks up, smiling warmly at the crowd.

“Citizens of Eos,” Noct begins, “Firstly I thank you all for the hard work you put in during my absence and tell you from the bottom of my heart how grateful I am to all of you for holding strong in such desperate times full of darkness and despair. As many of you know I was blessed by the Gods with a special connection to the Crytsal so that I could one day banish the darkness and the sickness of the Starscourge.”

That’s not _quite_ true, Prompto thinks. Noct wasn't blessed with anything; he was slapped with a prophecy as a small babe and handed a horrible, terrible burden. It wasn’t a gift, it was a punishment.

Prompto watches Noct hesitate and glance down at his paper. He steels himself with a deep breath before continuing.

“In return for the power of their Crystal the Gods asked of me a great sacrifice. A sacrifice I was walling to make in return for the eternal safety of this world and the banishment of all daemons whence they came.”

Noct’s being pretty kind to these Gods, Prompto thinks, considering they’d been planning on his death for so long.

“The Astrals ordained that with the safety of Eos restored and the power of the Crystal consumed then the line of Lucis was no longer necessary to guard their holy relic, I was to be the last person to sit the Lucian.”

There’s a murmur in the crowd, some vocalisations of dissent.

Noct’s voice is touch a firmer as he continues, “While the Gods could have demanded the ultimate sacrifice from me they instead allowed me to continue on with you all here and help see the world into a bright future so long as I am the last to bear my name. And so my reign will continue on from here, if you all so wish, until you have no more need of me. Before my departure we will establish a fair government that will work hand in hand with the other nations with the openness and generosity that should have existed since our founding. We will join with Tenebrae, Accordo and Niflheim to rebuild a better and stronger world without borders.”

Prompto feels his stomach flutter with the words knowing that those, specifically are for _him_.

“Smart,” Gladio murmurs as Noct goes on, speaking in technical terms about the rebuilding effort.

Ignis hums in agreement, “Indeed. He’s offering to rule but _not_ promising to sit on the thrown until he dies.”

Prompto nods but his attention is dragged straight back to Noct when the King decisively flips the page over and takes another steadying breath.

“I know that many of you have waited a long time to hear me speak of the formidable Oracle that was Lunafreya Nox Fleuret and I do so now with deepest of regret and sadness that she is not with us here today. While the marriage between us was to be political in nature I want you all to know that she was one of my dearest friends and I loved her very much in every way that I was able -”

Ignis inhales a little sharply beside him and suddenly his hand is holding Prompto’s.

Gladio breathes, “Holy shit.”

“It would have been an immense honour to be her husband and we would have found great happiness together I know. I also know,” Noct adds with a soft chuckle, “That she would have been much better at this than I am you wouldn’t have had to stand here half as long as this.”

There are a few giggles from the crowd.

Prompto’s eyes feel just a little damp and he’s not sure why. It’s like his body is currently two steps ahead of his mind.

“Luna and I talked a great deal from the time we were children until the great catastrophe that took this city and we knew each other as intimately as two people who live half a world apart could. She wished for us both to be as happy as we could, both within our marriage and outside of it so I know she would support the words that I am about to say. My heart, in full, did not belong to Lunafreya but to another that I met as a teenager, an amazing man who’s loyalty knows no bounds and has made me happier than I ever thought possible.”

There’s more murmuring from the crowd and Prompto feels that tear finally slip out down his cheek. He hopes none of the cameras are focusing on _his_ face and that he’s too far from the crowd to be really visible.

Noct just came out. Noct just told the world he’s _gay_ and that he was in love with him. Maybe not in so many words, of course, there wasn’t any proof right now that Noct was talking about _Prompto_ but he’d said it. He’d told them.

The crowd is a little noisy again but there’s nothing negative that Prompto hears, no one yelling any slurs or rallying to denounce Noct as leader. He knows now why Noct didn’t let anyone else see this script - Prompto would have told him not to, that he wasn’t worth risking the people’s faith in him and Ignis might have at least asked to _delay_ this for a while. Even though Noct _had_ gotten him to agree that a political marriage would be pointless and difficult to arrange when no children could come from it.

“I know that for some of you this will be shocking and I promise that before the Gods had ordained that I was to be the last Lucis Caelum I was more than ready to do my duty to my wife and country, but with my sacrifice comes a boon I had not expected. With this, I hope, comes the freedom to be truly happy with the person that I _truly_ love more than anything in this world and pave the way for others to do the same. I trust in your support, as we beckon in a new world where love is love, no matter the form and people are free to live in the way that suits them best and makes them whole...”

Prompto’s _there_ for the rest of Noct’s address, he’s whole and standing while Noct fields questions from select members of the crowd but he’s really watching from another place, another plane of existence where everything still _makes sense_.

Ignis squeezes Prompto’s fingers as Monica beckons one last person forward with the words, “Just one more for today.”

Ignis stands by Prompto’s side, remarkably relaxed considering everything that just happened he realises.

“It’s not what we were expecting,” Ignis concedes quietly.

“No,” Gladio agrees, humour obvious in his tone, “But when is it ever.”

“It’s better,” Prompto says, “At least to me, it’s better.”

Ignis gently squeezes his hand again and turns just a little to offer him a smile.

They could get _married_ Prompto realises. He and Noct. _They_ could get _married_.

“It’s perfect,” Prompto breathes, a few more tears falling.

“Careful kid,” Gladio teases, “Noct might have opened the closet but you’re kind of still in there.”

Prompto laughs and then bites it back, only lasting as long as it takes for them to escort Noct back up the steps and inside before he falls apart completely, half laughing and half sobbing as Noct takes him into his arms right there in the entrance hall in full view of everyone.

~ ~ ~

Prompto’s putting on his full Kingsglaive uniform for the first time in a long while.

“Noct will do all the talking,” Gladio promises as he pins Prompto’s service medals in a neat straight line along his breast, hands deft and surprisingly delicate with the fiddly work. Which actually makes sense when you remember that Gladio got his first medal when he was like nineteen, taking a bottle to the face to protect Noct without causing civilian blood shed.

“Right. Ignis says I just need to say thank you?”

Gladio nods, “Remember how Noct basically said _I know you’ll support me_ or something when he first came out because then anyone that didn’t immediately support him knew they were in the wrong? It’s like that.”

“Okay,” Prompto says bobbing his head, “So like: thank you for your support, or something?”

“Perfect,” Gladio says, “Though honestly, anyone paying attention already knows it’s _you_. This is just a formality.”

At the time Prompto hadn’t really noticed but Noct had definitely given the game away by describing the man he loved as someone he met in his teens. Because that’s literally just Prompto.

“And to tell them about the fayre-slash-party thing,” Prompto says.

Gladio laughs, “And that. Good thinking by the way.”

“There’s always a compromise,” Prompto says mocking Ignis’ voice. Pretty spectacularly if he says so himself.

There’s a rhythmic knock on the door and Ignis pokes his head in.

“I presume if we’re to the point where you’re mocking me then we’re good to go?”

“Sure thing,” Prompto chirps hoping he’s reading Ignis’ tone right and that he’s not mad.

Ignis ruffles Prompto’s hair as they descend in the elevator and then blandly asks Noct to fix it while he adjusts his gloves so Prompto decides that Ignis maybe was a little mad but now they’re even.

-

There’s a readjustment of sorts now Prompto’s about to be formally announced as Noct’s fiance where Prompto has to now stand just slightly behind Noct to his left with Gladio and Ignis flanking them and two more Guards behind them. Today it’s Cor and Delilah though Prompto can’t imagine Cor will be filling the gap full time.

Seems a little below his pay grade.

Noct gives his hand a squeeze just before the doors open and then they’re descending the staircase again as a unit. This time when Noct steps up to the podium Prompto follows up, standing just behind him and looking down at the crowd, glad he’d decided to skip breakfast in fear of upchucking in front of the _whole world_.

“Thank you for gathering here before me once again,” Noct greets the crowd, “And to those watching from home I thank you for taking the time to listen to me ramble.”

The crowd laughs, utterly charmed by their king.

Prompto gets it.

“Today I stand before you with only good news as we approach the one year anniversary of the returning dawn,” Noct continues.

A great cheer rises from the crowd and Prompto’s bolstered to see a few arms raise flags into the air, bright rainbows in solidarity and slogans praising their monarch.

“It with immense joy that I announce my engagement to Prompto Argentum, trusted member of the Crownsguard and -”

Whatever Noct means to say after that is swallowed up by shouts and cheers from the crowd, Noct turns to Prompto smiling and Prompto can’t helps but grin back relieved and overjoyed in equal measure by the support being show.

Gladio breaks out of his normally stoic guard persona to laugh and when Prompto turns his head slightly he can see that Ignis is poorly biting back his own smile.

Noct offers Prompto his hand and he takes it gladly stepping closer and the crowd briefly roars again before settling down finally.

“It pleases me to know you all feel at least a fraction of the excitement that I do,” Noct says into the microphone.

Noct tugs on his hand a little and Prompto leans down, swallowing his nerves to say in as a even a voice as he can manage, “Thank you for supporting us in this important step, I am humbled by your approval.”

There are more shouts and yells and Noct steps centre again, allowing Prompto to drop back just a little. His hands would probably be shaking up a storm if Noct wasn’t holding on to one of them.

“I hope you can understand that my _fiance_ and I would like to keep our ceremony private, a small gathering of just us and our closest friends, but we would be honoured if many of you could join us here, in the ground of the Citadel, to celebrate both our joining and the continuing survival of Eos. Further details are to be released in the coming month -”

 _Month_ Prompto thinks. _Month_. He and Noct are going to be married in a months time.

“- but be assured there will be as much food, music and entertainment as can be arranged without draining precious resources that can be put towards the rebuilding of our nation. My Adviser, Lord Scientia, will be answering some questions regarding this shortly but I just want to thank you all again for allowing us to share our love openly and without fear.”

It takes Prompto a second to work out what the crowd is saying then but it becomes abundantly clear they’re clamouring for a kiss, small pockets of them chanting the word over and over again.

Noct turns to him and wiggles his eyebrows just a little and Prompto rolls his eyes and throws caution to the wind, stepping right up to Noct and cupping his jaw to bring him in to an affectionate but chaste kiss.

The crowd screams and Prompto sighs, oddly content.

-

Prompto’s surprisingly exhausted when they make it upstairs, considering all he did was say a single sentence and then kiss his fiance - things he usually does a hundred times a day.

Okay maybe he and Noct don’t always kiss a hundred time but they certainly _try_.

Noct helps him out of his Kingsglaive jacket, sheds the most cumbersome parts of his raiment and then settles them on the couch, Noct reclining against the arm with Prompto’s head in his lap gently running his fingers through it and completely destroying how carefully Prompto styled it that morning.

Noct can’t stop smiling and Prompto grins sleepily up at him, reaching to trace the shape of that smile with his thumb. Noct grabs his hand and presses a warm kiss against the palm.

Ignis fields questions for around an hour then joins them in Noct’s chambers followed briefly by one of the kitchen staff carrying a tray of sandwiches and drinks. Prompto almost dislocates his shoulder trying to roll off Noct’s lap forgetting already that it’s _allowed_ now. The kitchen maid smiles at them, bowing to Noct and offering a sincere congratulations before she bustles off.

“Eat,” Noct urges, “You must be starving.” And he leans forward while Prompto gets himself upright to fill a plate with Prompto’s favourites.

Prompto never actually told Noct he skipped breakfast and it’s oddly heart-warming that Noct just _understood_ that would be the case.

“So,” Gladio urged Ignis, “Fall out?”

Prompto freezes with a sandwich half in his mouth, eyes wide as he stares at Ignis. Noct elbows him gently in the side.

“ _Eat_ ,” he urges again, “Please.”

“We already have a dozen vendors clamouring to cater the public wedding celebration and hundreds of people volunteering to make and arrange decorations,” Ignis tells them, “We’ll have to assign Monica extra staff to organise everything though I daresay she’ll enjoy this more than she did Glaive deployment.”

Prompto swallows his mouthful of sandwich before he’s really done chewing. It goes down kind of painfully.

“What about us?” Prompto asks meekly, “I know it seemed like everyone was happy - but only people that _like_ Noct would bother to come to the actual address.”

“Wow,” Noct deadpans, “Way to break it to me that people _don’t_ like me.”

Prompto's laugh is just a little hollow, “Well there are people that don’t like chocobos. What chance do _you_ have?”

Gladio laughs.

Ignis adjusts his visor and Prompto can tell he’s choosing his words very carefully when he says, “There seems to be absolutely no push back about the fact Noct's chosen partner is male. Things might be different if you hadn’t come out already and made it so clear that there would be no heir, I suppose.”

Prompto smartly didn’t take another bite so he doesn’t have to tear his throat up this time to say, “But there is push back about _me_ specifically.”

Noct turns to look at Prompto sharply then twists to stare at Ignis.

“Iggy?”

Ignis sighs and his tone is apologetic, “There is some concern about the fact that you were born in Niflheim.”

Prompto places his sandwich back on his plate.

“Imagine if they knew _how_ I was born,” Prompto mutters.

Noct grabs the sandwich up and presses it gently to Prompto’s mouth. Prompto snorts a laugh and then opens his mouth to take a small bite.

“ _I_ don’t care where you were born,” Noct reminds him and when Prompto takes the sandwich back Noct slips his hand over Prompto's wrist to thumb over his barcode.

“None of us do,” Gladio puts in.

“Indeed,” Ignis adds, “And I want you to understand that there were as many voices praising you for your loyalty and service during the long night. They rather drowned out the objections I promise you.”

Prompto nods, chewing slowly.

Noct ducks close, pressing a kiss to Prompto’s earlobe and whispering, “I love you.”

And that’s really all that matters isn't it?.

\- - -

There’s some technical issue Prompto doesn’t understand where he’s not _really_ supposed to guard Noct any more but when Gladio calls out at the last second before Noct’s supposed to spend an entire day holding court Prompto and Cor decide it makes more sense just to let Prompto do it than rearrange the entire guard roster.

Prompto would die of _shock_ before any attack actually killed him were anyone to try and assassinate Noct.

Everyone at least _seems_ to love him.

Delilah is there too, stood at the base of the dais with two other Guards watching the main entrance so pretty much the only people alive that would stand a change of taking out Noct are Ignis and Aranea and neither of them seem particularly inclined.

Aranea _had_ called yesterday to yell at Prompto about not letting her know they were officially getting hitched before going on TV about it and to make sure she was invited to that private ceremony Noct had mentioned. Prompto had promised she was and then she’d congratulated him with a lot of swearwords before hanging up a little abruptly because Prompto sounded like he was getting emotional. Or so she said.

It’s been a pleasant day if not a little long, most petitioners seem there just to offer their support and well wishes for their upcoming nuptials. Noct has has to field many requests for what gifts they would like, assuring them that all he and Prompto could want is everyone's continued support to the rebuilding efforts.

According to Ignis pretty much every live band in Eos has requested the opportunity to play their first dance and Prompto’s kind of looking forward to heading back to their chambers and watching all the videos they’ve been sent. Honestly Prompto thinks they’ll end up hiring a couple now the planned foot area for the celebration has spread so far with all the interest they've gotten. Prompto doesn’t _want_ to care about what song his first dance is to - or the fact it’ll be in front of _everyone_ \- but he does. He really, really does.

Noct bids the current citizen farewell and when no other is immediately incoming motions to Delilah and asks, “Is that it?”

“I’ll check for you, Your Majesty,” Delilah says with a small respectful bow.

Delilah doesn’t return when the door opens again, instead Gladio steps through posture oddly rigid.

“Gladio,” Noct says with surprise, sitting forward eagerly and beckoning him forward.

“How was your errand?” Prompto asks stepping a little closer to the throne.

“Good,” Gladio says quickly, voice tight, “I have something to discuss with you.”

“What’s the matter?” Noct asks quickly, almost panicky. Prompto feels the same; it’s unusual for Gladio to have something to say and not just come out and say it.

One of the side doors that almost no one ever uses and Prompto listens to the sound of obviously fancy shoes clicking along the marble, keeping his eyes on Gladio and feeling oddly on edge.

“Am I late?” Ignis asks, “I only just got your message.”

“Just in time,” Gladio replies and he comes closer, climbing the stairs until he’s able to hand Noct a small square of paper from the back pocket of his jeans.

Ignis arrives on the dais with the rest of them just in time to hear Noct give a short little gasp followed by a wet sniff.

“Noct?” Ignis says, alarmed, “What’s the matter?”

Noct sniffs again before asking in a trembling voice, “When is she due?”

Prompto physically startles and looks down at Noct just in time to be passed the paper from Gladio’s pocket that Prompto realises, with another start, is a printed sonogram.

“Holy shit,” Prompto says, “Gladio - holy shit.”

“Do you mean -? Words,” Ignis begs, “Please.”

“Ana’s pregnant,” Gladio says simply and when Prompto looks at him now he radiates _joy_ so intensely it’s easy to tell why he’d held himself so stiffly before. He'd obviously not wanted to give the game away.

“Ah,” Ignis says, “The reason she’s not been joining us for dinner -”

“Yeah, she’s been getting her morning sickness in the evenings,” Gladio explains, “But it's getting better now. She's just hit sixteen weeks.”

“Congrats,” Noct says casually but then he’s up and throwing himself at his Shield in a rare hug. Prompto grabs Iggy’s arm to pull him over and they dog pile in too.

\- - -

Noct drags the coffee table to one side of the room and pulls Prompto up from the couch. Ana gives a sweet little laugh and tucks her feet up into the space Prompto vacated.

Her belly’s just big enough to show in her casual clothes and her stomach’s _finally_ behaving enough to be able join them for dinner on Monday nights again. Ignis had to cook her something special – read: bland - but she seemed to enjoy it well enough.

“Don’t we just kind of sway on the spot,” Prompto mutters just a touch petulantly as Noct shows him where to place his hands.

“That’s not very fun to look at,” Noct points out promising, “But we can do that after.”

Prompto sighs adjusting his hold on Noct’s shoulder when Noct applies gentle pressure to his waist.

“Wait. Am I the _girl_?” Prompto teases, choosing not to mention every time he’s referred to himself as the future Queen of Lucis.

“Shut up,” Noct laughs, “Heteronormativity means I only was only taught to lead, it's not my fault.”

Prompto cackles, head thrown back.

From where he’d just settled on the couch Ignis muses, “I’m proud of you for remembering that word. But also apologise for being remiss in this part of your education that you _despised_.”

Noct grins.

“You guys are so cute,” Ana says. She’s seen them together a thousand times, completely in on the not-so-secret secret, of course. It had taken her a while to get over Noct being the king but she’d got there.

“So it’s just a simple box step,” Noct explains.

“He says like I know what a box step is,” Prompto says flatly.

Noct peers over his Prompto’s shoulder at his friends on the couch, “Don’t the Crownsguard have to learn all that formal garbage?”

Ignis laughs, “Yes, in the usual twelve month training process they do indeed learn how to behave at formal events. _However_ , I’m sure you’ll remember, Prompto completed his training in _eight weeks_ and the formalities were the first thing to be cut.”

“Oh yeah,” Noct says like he’s remembering a long forgotten memory, “You’re a complete bad ass.”

Prompto kicks Noct in the shin.

“Get on with it,” he says.

“Okay. It’s really simple,” Noct says, “Obviously because _I_ remember how to do it.”

Noct lets him look down at his feet the first few times they cross the room moving their feet in the simple three count step but then he forces Prompto to stare at the ceiling so he can get used to doing it by feel.

“Ideally you’ll look at me during the actual thing,” Noct murmurs low enough that they’re friends may or may not be able to hear them over the music playing.

“That won’t be hard,” Prompto says, “You have to get married in your raiment?”

“A version of it,” Noct says, “Iggy and Iris want to help you pick out your suit. Apparently I’m not allowed to see it.”

“Bad luck right?” Prompto guesses, look away from the ceiling to peck Noct on the cheek. Tentatively Prompto shifts them a little closer so they can move with their chests pressed close together and his head resting on Noct’s shoulder. It’s a little harder, but all the sweeter for the closeness.

“That’s it,” Gladio encourages, “You’re getting there.”

\- - -

Prompto was supposed to go away with Aranea for a few days - not for anything important just purely because it was a thing they did - but she arrives two weeks out from Prompto’s wedding and flat out refuses to take him anywhere.

Instead she tells Ignis to organise a room for her and tags along to Prompto’s suit fitting before heading off with Iris to try and procure a dress.

Aranea is really a force to be reckoned with. Prompto’s eternally grateful she ended up on their side.

Noct excuses Prompto from duties so he can spend the day with Aranea and when they reunite Prompto’s somehow twice as tired as Noct.

Prompto belly flops onto their colossal bed and Noct climbs up onto his thighs to play a brief round of bongos on Prompto’s butt before flopping over to completely cover Prompto from head to toe.

“What’s your suit like?” Noct asks abruptly like he can startle Prompto into giving him an honest answer.

“Lemon yellow,” Prompto tells him, relaxing pretty fast with Noct’s weight pressing down upon him.

Noct sighs and mumbles, “You’d probably look pretty good to be fair.”

“Yellow washes me out,” Prompto sighs, letting his eyes fall closed.

“Hey,” Noct says a little urgently moving off of him and to the side, “Don’t fall asleep yet. One: you’re still in your jeans. Two: I need to talk to you about something.”

The words _I need to talk to you_ should cause Prompto distress but Noct has never once said that to Prompto and Prompto not been pretty happy with the outcome of that conversation.

Prompto grumbles as he flips over onto his back and starts to attempt to struggle out of his jeans without standing. His belt comes off easily enough but Noct seems to get distracted watching him wriggles about on the bed when the tightness of his jeans gets caught around his thighs.

“Need a hand?” Noct teases.

“Shut up,” Prompto says. Then, “Yes.”

Noct laughs and pushes up onto his knees to finish undressing him.

“That’s better,” Noct says tossing the denim to the floor in a messy pile. He lays down along Prompto’s side, arm wrapped loosely over his belly and head on Prompto’s shoulder.

“What did you wanna talk about?”

Noct fidgets and Prompto can sense his discomfort in every line of his body. Gently Prompto raises a hand to start combing through Noct's hair.

“I just wanted to check - to ask -”

Prompto hides a smile as Noct bumbles, scratching his fingers pleasantly against his scalp like he would for a cat.

“Did you want kids?” Noct blurts.

“Um.”

Noct sits up out of his hold to look down at him, “Like, I know _I_ can’t have them so I assumed we just wouldn’t but then I realised that maybe you did and _you_ could and I’m being selfish -”

Prompto sits up and effectively cuts off Noct’s rambling by kissing him roughly, sweeping his tongue into Noct’s mouth until Noct sighs against his mouth, all the tension flooding out of his body.

“Okay. So,” Prompto says once he’s given one last peck, “I am not _opposed_ to the idea of kids. But the only kids I would want are ones that we could raise together so -” Prompto shrugs, “I’m also not opposed to just loving the shit out of Gladio’s kids and being the best guncles ever.”

Noct barks a laugh like it was startled right out of him.

“Yeah?” Noct asks meekly.

Prompto pecks his nose and nods, “You gotta help me dig out all the old fashioned flower names for Gladio though, that is a family tradition I _need_ to continue.”

“I feel like Ana’s the one you need to convince,” Noct teases.

“I did!” Prompto cries, trying to scramble for his phone to show Noct the text messages.

Noct grabs his hands to press kisses along his knuckles and up Prompto's wrist to smother his barcode.

“Weren’t you ready for bed a second ago?” Noct asks and it seems to remind Prompto’s body of how tired he was before, all the exhaustion suddenly heavy on his bones once more.

Together they crawl under the covers lying on their sides to face one another and tangling their legs up in a big old mess.

“Okay,” Prompto says when they’re settled, “But now for the important question.”

Noct makes a soft noise to encourage him to continue.

“Do we get dogs or cats?”

Noct is silent for a long time, staring at Prompto with wide eyes.

“Both?” Noct asks hopefully.

“Both,” Prompto agrees.

\- - -

Three days.

Prompto’s getting married in _three_ days.

Most of the preparations have been out of his and Noct’s hands - which Prompto’s not even a little mad about - so all Prompto’s really had to do it work on his nerves and practice pronouncing the word _solemnly_ correctly. He manages like more than half the time now so he’s hopefully he won’t mess up their vows too badly.

At least it’s only their friends there if he does.

Prompto’s suit is fitted and pressed, hanging in Iggy’s wardrobe so Noct can’t peek at it, and Prompto’s duties have been stripped down to bare basics so he has time to _prepare_.

Prompto’s really bored.

He’d taken Delilah - so as not to cause another incident - on a trip to the outskirts of the city to take photographs and whiled away most of the day that way.

But still.

Bored.

Noct’s _extra_ busy so he can get ahead on things to take a few days off after the wedding. They’re not going to do anything in particular, no where in Lucis is really equipped as a honeymoon destination right now but -

A little time alone to just lay about in bed and play games on the console Prompto jury-rigged and has been keeping a secret? Perfect.

His and Noct’s quarters has a small balcony off the living area and Prompto likes to sit out there whenever he can just to watch the sun rise and set. It’s been a year but it still feels kind of magical.

The sliding door opens and Noct pokes his head out, “Hey babe.”

“Hey,” Prompto beams holding out a hand to beckon him closer.

Noct comes right up beside him and wraps and arm around Prompto’s shoulders, pressing a kiss to the side of his head.

“How was your day, dear?” Prompto asks only half joking.

They never really had settled on a pet-name for Noct. Prompto says babe sometimes but that really feels like _his_ and apparently he's not very good at sharing.

Noct chuckles but there’s something _off_ about it. When Prompto tries to catch his eyes Noct looks away, fidgeting slightly despite the arm still around Prompto.

“Noct?”

Noct lets go and steps in front of Prompto, blocking his view of the purpling sky.

“I got our wedding rings today,” Noct says.

Prompto perks eagerly, “Can I see?”

“It made me realise,” Noct says like Prompto hadn’t said anything, “That I never really proposed. I just - kind of made it so we could get married and then assumed we would get married.”

This was technically true but Prompto had _also_ just assumed they would get married. He'd kind of liked it that way.

“Noct,” Prompto murmurs, “I want to marry you more than anything.”

Noct smiles a little and then slowly lowers himself onto one knee.

Noct suppresses a short wince as he knee touches the stone and Prompto makes some kind of useless hand gesture, getting to his feet before trying to tug Noct back up again.

“Noct,” Prompto says, “You don’t have to do this - don’t hurt yourself.”

“Shut up,” Noct complains, “Just stand there and look gorgeous for a second, okay?”

Prompto suddenly wishes he was wearing something other than one of Noct’s old ratty t-shirts and workout shorts.

“We’re getting married in three days,” Prompto whines.

Noct just shakes his head and pulls a ring box from his pocket.

“Prompto Argentum,” he says, “I love you more than anything in the world and I never would have made it to where I am now without your loyalty and support. Will you do me the great honour of spending the rest of your life with me as your loving, doting husband and continue to let me lay in bed while you get up to make the coffee and go for your run.”

Prompto laughs, a wet noise from the stupid dumb tears that have gotten in his eyes to cloud his view of Noct’s earnest face.

Okay. Prompto fucking likes it this way too.

“Noctis Lucis Caelum,” Prompto says, “You are the love of my life. And really mean for making me cry.”

“Will you marry me?” Noct asks, popping open the ring box to reveal a simple band of two metals twisted together and smoothed out into a pleasing blend of the two tones.

“Duh,” Prompto says, pushing his left hand towards Noct and using the other to wipe his eyes.

Noct slips the ring onto Prompto’s finger and then turns his hand over to kiss Prompto’s palm.

“Up please,” Prompto says trying to pull Noct to his feet. Noct groans as his leg straightens out and lets Prompto support his weight as they come together in a kiss.

\- - -

They only have ten guests - plus an officiator and four guards - yet somehow they manage to make a cacophony of noise as Noct and Prompto are pronounced _husband and husband_ and told they may now _kiss your husband_.

Iris is crying loudly Prompto can hear as Noct presses forward to dip Prompto slightly toward the ground. Aranea whisper yells that they’re gross and they break apart laughing.

Noct tucks his face into Prompto’s neck and whispers, “I love you.”

“Love you more, _Husband_.”

Noct pulls back to beam at him and kiss him again for perhaps too long and not as chastely as is appropriate in full view of their guests.

Prompto has to kind of push Noct away to get him to stop long enough for them to turn and face Talcott who’s clamouring to take a picture of them. Noct obliges easily enough when he realises, turning to press their cheeks together with a dopey grin as Talcott raises Prompto’s camera to his face and starts snapping away.

-

They get about an hour - and a glass of sparkling wine - together with just their friends before they’re expected out into the public. It’s a hot day so most of the Citadel’s windows and doors are wide open and the noise of the celebration outside drifts into the room they’re in.

“Are you ready?” Ignis asks as Prompto tries to smooth out non-existent creases in the dark grey fabric of his suit.

Noct really like his outfit. It’s really great. Prompto low-key can’t wait to get back to their room and make the suits disappear though.

“I don’t have to say anything do I?” Prompto checks.

Ignis shakes his head, “Everyone just wants to see you happy and in love -”

“Easy enough,” Noct puts in, adjusting Prompto's tie for him.

Which is fair considering that he had been the one to dislodge the blue silk in the first place.

“- and I’ve tried to make it so even Noct won’t formally have to give a speech though people may wish to give you well wishes and completely ignoring them would simply be rude. Which I know you are not.”

“Got it,” Prompto says.

“Ready?” Noct asks and he offers Prompto his hand. The feel of his ring against Prompto’s fingers is cool and reassuring.

Two of the guards throw the main doors wide open and Noct and Prompto step through, pausing just a few stops down to wave and smile as the crowd greets them with cheers and shouts of praise.

“Holy shit,” Prompto says, fixing his smile in place and talking through his teeth.

“You’re doing great,” Noct promises, “Ready to dance?”

Prompto squeezes Noct’s hand so tight it hurts _his_ fingers.

“You let me trip on these stairs and I’m filing for divorce,” Prompto teases as they start their descent.

-

Noct’s fingers knock Prompto’s out of the way as he attempts to unbutton his jacket.

“You’re amazing,” Noct says quietly. Through their open window the noise of the celebration still raging on below drifts through and Prompto closes his eyes as he lets Noct slide the fine jacket from his shoulders and start to loosen his blue tie to let the memories of the day wash over him.

They’re married. _Married_. Prompto wishes he could go back in time and tell his eighteen year old self how well everything would turn out.

He wishes he could tell his _twenty-eight_ year old self how well everything would turn out.

It had been the simplest thing in the world to climb down those steps with his and Noct’s fingers entwined and then step onto the circular space that had opened within the crowds to allow them space to dance. They were only supposed to dance for one song but they’d stayed out there for the better part of an hour, being joined by Gladio an Ana at one point and then Ignis convincing Aranea onto the floor for a spin.

The public had joined them too and Prompto hadn’t felt unsafe or concerned at any time - just content in the arms of his husband and supported by the world at large.

“You’re better,” Prompto responds perhaps a little too late judging from the way Noct chuckles.

“Agree to disagree,” Noct says before pressing his hand to Prompto’s jaw and pulling him in for a kiss.

Prompto sighs through his nose as Noct pulls him in close hands warm across his back through the fabric of his dress shirt before they slip around the front to start undoing the buttons.

Prompto pulls away to complain, “How come I’m getting naked and you’re still dressed?”

“I thought you liked my raiment,” Noct teases as he pulls Prompto’s shirt tails free.

“I do,” Prompto insists trailing his fingers across the chain decorating Noct’s shoulder.

Prompto’s shirt drops to the floor and Noct nudges him to start walking backwards as he fingers Prompto’s belt. Prompto plunks down onto the bed so Noct can’t get at it any more.

“I though we were _equals_ ,” Prompto says pointedly.

Noct rolls his eyes but Prompto seemingly wins because Noct starts shedding the outer layer of his raiment, even taking the time to hand the jacket and cape over the back of a chair.

Prompto tilts his head up as Noct returns, eagerly accepting his next kiss and relishing in the feel of those talented fingers running through his hair.

“Better?” Noct asks.

Prompto unsnaps Noct’s belts and pulls it free from it’s loops.

“Getting there.”

Noct takes off his own shirt because he’s a smart guy and then he pushes Prompto down onto the bed and climbs on to his lap.

Prompto leans up just as Noct dips down and Prompto ends up smacking Noct in the nose with his forehead.

Noct rolls off him with a shout and clutches at his nose as Prompto scrambles up onto his knees to try and check he’s okay.

“Did I break your nose?” Prompto cries.

Noct laughs as he lowers his hand so Prompto can get a look. He blinks his eyes rapidly to dispel

It’s not bleeding or even a little red and Noct barely reacts when Prompto presses either side of his nose with his thumbs .

“Sorry,” Noct says with a soft chuckle, “It was just the shock.”

Prompto flutters kisses across Noct’s cheekbones and nose in a silent apology.

“Only we could ruin the mood on our _wedding night_ with a minor injury,” Prompto pouts.

Noct sits up so rapid fast its honestly a near miss they don’t collide again.

“Whose mood is ruined?” Noct asks, “My mood isn’t ruined? You want to go first or second?”

Prompto throws his head back to laugh and Noct gently runs his fingers down the column of Noct’s throat.

“Is ‘going first’ fucking or being fucked?” Prompto asks, still breathless with laughter.

“Being fucked, obviously,” Noct says, “Duh.”

Prompto leans forward to press their lips together softly.

“First please,” Prompto whispers.

“You gonna let me take your pants off now?” Noct asks with his fingers lingering on Prompto’s collarbone.

“I mean I guess if I have to,” Prompto says with a fake sigh.

Noct pushes Prompto back down onto the bed and deftly removes his pants and socks, snapping the band of his boxers playfully as he comes to settle between Prompto’s thighs to kiss him.

Noct’s half hard against his hip and Prompto’s pleased that Noct wasn’t lying about the mood being ruined for him. It might take Prompto a little longer to catch up; there’s something terrifying about thinking you just broke your husbands nose.

Prompto sighs when Noct gently grinds their hips together, shifting into a whine when Noct separates their mouths to start kissing down across his neck and chest. Noct licks over both his nipples, pausing to work at one until Prompto writhes against the bed then pulling away with a dark chuckle and continuing his descent.

Noct kisses around his belly button and nuzzles his way through the downy soft hair of Prompto’s happy trail. He hooks his fingers into Prompto’s boxers and drags them free from Prompto’s legs, nipping at Prompto’s thigh as he comes to settle on his belly between them.

Prompto gasps and asks, “You want the lube?”

“In a minute,” Noct murmurs, pressing back on Prompto’s thighs so his hips arch slightly off the bed and he can work his mouth easily over Prompto’s hole.

Noct, as it turns out, is not a huge fan of being eaten out. He doesn’t hate it, and he and Prompto have experimented with it a little but it’s mostly not for him. On the other hand, what he will do when in a particular mood, is absolutely pull Prompto to pieces with just his mouth.

“Oh shit,” Prompto moans after the first couple swipes of eager tongue.

Noct huffs out a laugh through his nose and it’s a pleasant burst of warm air against Prompto’s sac that Prompto’s sure is directly responsible for the needy jerk his cock gives against his belly.

He’s hard _now_ of course, it would be impossible not to be.

Noct works at him ruthlessly, tongue clever and relentless as it presses at his hole, making it slick and pliable to the stretch of his fingers.

“You should not be so good at this,” Prompto moans, burying his face under a forearm.

Noct trails a string of sticky kisses up Prompto’s thigh, panting for breath.

“I’m a quick study and you have easy tells,” Noct says simply.

“Shut up - nnnghhh,” Prompto _tries_ to say as Noct leans back in and does something that sends him to a complete other plane of existence for a solid minute.

He comes back round when Noct kisses around his hip then licks a hot strip up the underside of his cock, back up on his arms now as he leans over Prompto’s form.

“Need to be in you, _please_ ,” Noct bites out.

Don’t ask Prompto when Noct took off his pants, he has no idea.

Prompto reaches under the pillows for where their lube normally ends up, finding it after a torturous twenty seconds of searching. He slicks up his own fingers and reaches down between his thighs judging himself loose enough for two fingers right off the bat.

Noct takes his own cock by the base and starts to rub it against Prompto’s thigh, smearing sticky trails of his pre-come over his skin.

Prompto twists his fingers a little and scissors them open, perhaps a little harshly but too eager to be properly patient and careful. Noct makes a soft little groan as he pushes his dick into the crease of Prompto’s hip and Prompto quickly works in a third finger.

“I’m good,” Prompto groans after another few short minutes, reaching for Noct’s cock and spreading damp fingers over all the parts of it he can reach.

Noct takes hold of Prompto’s hip and starts to line himself up against Prompto’s hole. He’s barely pressed inside when a deep burning need rises in Prompto’s gut and his hands fly out to grip Noct by the shoulders.

“I wanna ride you,” Prompto bites out.

“Fuck,” Noct hisses pressing forward a little more. Noct holds onto his hip tight, wedging the other under Prompto’s shoulders and then he’s rolling over, pulling Prompto with him and Noct says he doesn’t have magic anymore but Prompto thinks that must be a lie because some how they end up with Noct on his back with Prompto braced on his knees over him with Noct’s dick still half inside him.

Prompto sinks all the way down as soon as they’re completely stationary, crying out as his ass rests fully against Noct’s thighs.

Noct grins up at him from their dark pillows, eyes hooded but eagle sharp.

“Look at you,” Noct murmurs, “Hottest husband in the world.”

Prompto always blushes at the weirdest times and it happens now, a dark red the spreads all across his face and down his shoulders. Prompto rolls his hips, hoping to distract Noct, and it maybe works because his hands fly to Prompto’s thighs, fingertips pressing into the flexing muscles.

Prompto leans forward as he starts ride Noct in a slow, steady grind bracing one hand against Noct’s chest for leverage as he leans down so they can kiss. It’s slow and long and sweet, the perfect counterpoint to the hot pressure splitting Prompto open. Prompto keeps kissing Noct for as long as he can, until he just can’t breath in deeply enough in the close air rising around them.

It’s a quiet build, bubbling up gently but steadily as Noct starts to shift his hips up in short thrusts that press up against Prompto’s prostrate with every forward roll.

Prompto keens softly, tossing his head back as he builds their rhythm, picking up his hips with the power in his thighs. Noct shifts both hands from Prompto’s thighs, one reaching to grab his ass and help Prompto’s motions. The other creeps round to take hold of his dick in a loose fist, stroking perfectly in time with the pace of Prompto’s movements.

Prompto shoves himself on and off Noct’s thighs almost harshly as the coil inside him twists tighter and tighter until it’s right on the edge of snapping.

“Noct,” Prompto moans, “Please tell me you’re -”

“Uh huh,” Noct grits out between his teeth, “Just waiting for you baby. Please. Need you.”

Prompto sinks all the way down again, grabbing Noct’s hand and twisting it towards the head of his dick as cries out, body trembling from head to toe. Noct’s fingers dig into his ass so tight Prompto will probably have tiny little bruises come morning but he can really barely feel it over the pleasure of his own release and the sound of Noct’s tortured groan as he bursts inside Prompto.

After a few minutes catching their breath and pressing soft kisses to and and all easily available skin Noct carefully turns them both to their sides, gently lowering Prompto down onto the soft dark sheets.

Prompto tugs him in for a proper kiss, all teeth and tongues and soft sighs.

“I might need a nap before it’s my turn,” Noct says laughing just a little.

Prompto grins, “I can allow it.”

Noct settles more securely against the pillows, his hands making aimless trails along Prompto’s torso.

Now that they’re quiet Prompto can hear the sound of the celebrations continuing on outside the Citadel, music drifting in on the faint breeze and the continuous buzz of people laughing and talking together.

“Hey,” Prompto whispers, suddenly overcome with emotion.

“Hmm?”

“We got married today.”

Noct touches their noses together, “Yeah we did.”

\- Five Years Later -

Ignis still amazes Prompto now, even after about twenty years of friendship.

Granted there’s a lot less for Noct to do nowadays with all the steps they’ve taken to establishing a functioning government outside of the need for a monarch, but still.

A week off for them _all_ to escape into the wilds of Lucis like the _good old days_ and to introduce Gladio’s kids to real nature?

It’s pretty impressive.

And pretty awesome.

Prompto’s going to need to swap out his memory cards soon. Not only is this part of Duscae particularly gorgeous but his assembled family just can’t _stop_ doing picture worthy things.

He'd take a tonne yesterday at Wiz's, overcome at the sight of the human and chocobo babies all playing together.

Prompto wishes their dog could have come but someone needed to stay behind to keep Talcott and the cat company.

Noct’s sat at the edge of the dock fishing but any attempts to catch enough for their dinner were abandoned when Cal - four and a half years old and a perfect mini-Gladio in every way - had toddled right up to him on the dock and _demanded_ that Uncle Noct teach him how to fish. And as such Cal is braced on Noct’s lap, hands holding a small fishing rod that Noct had clearly packed just in case one of the kids had shown any interest whatsoever in his favourite hobby.

Prompto creeps closer to take a better picture but Prompto only gets one shot before Cal spots him and almost drops the rod in his efforts to wave at him.

Smiling Prompto heads over, reaching to ruffle through Cal’s thick hair even as he stoops to press a quick kiss to Noct’s mouth.

“How are my two best boys?” Prompto asks.

Cal giggles, “We’re catching a King Catfish!”

“I can’t wait to see it,” Prompto encourages him even though one look at Noct’s face confirms that they’re extremely _unlikely_ to catch said fish.

“You guys need anything?” Prompto checks.

Noct shakes his head, “All good now you’ve stopped by.” Cal pokes him in the cheek and Noct turns, pretended to try and bit his finger.

“I’ll come get you guys when dinner’s ready,” Prompto promises before heading back off the dock.

Raising his camera once more Prompto snaps a picture of Ignis where he’s over by the cooking stove with one of the twins - Delphine Prompto’s pretty sure though it really is hard to tell from this distance - balanced on his hip and listening to her baby chatter away while their dinner simmers away.

Prompto can still remember pacing the halls of the medical wing while they waited for Gladio’s second kid to be born and the exact moment he’d come out with not one but _two_ babies cradled in his huge arms.

The Shield had looked frantic and panicked underneath the overwhelming adoration he’d clearly felt for his two daughters. They look more like Ana with her soft green eyes but they too inherited Gladio’s thick hair, both of them having a full head of it right from birth.

“Prom,” Gladio calls suddenly and Prompto sees he and Daphne heading his way, Gladio holding both her little hands as she dodders on clumsy little legs towards Prompto. Gladio grins and gives him a quick nod so Prompto brings the camera up to his eyes quickly taking a short sequence of shots as Gladio lets go of her arms and Daphne takes her first few unaided steps towards Prompto face split in a wide smile.

Prompto drops the camera so it hangs from the strap around his neck, stretching his arms out to encourage her towards him.

She falls into his hold giggling up a storm and Prompto stands to spin her around - just once because any more than that and you maybe might get vomited on - congratulating her all the while.

“Such a clever girl,” Prompto tells her kissing the top of her head and tickling her belly to keep her laughter going because it absolutely one of the best sounds in the whole world.

Prompto hooks Daphne securely against his hip, twisting his camera onto his back out of the way of exploring baby fingers, and glances over to where Ana and Iris are sat by the fire. Ana has a paperback open but face down resting on one of her thighs rubbing her hand over the gentle swell of her belly.

“You know,” Prompto tells Gladio as he comes up beside them, “Just because the rest of us aren’t having kids doesn’t mean you needed to have enough for _all_ of us.”

Gladio laughs and bends to kiss the back of his daughter’s head.

Quietly he admits, “I really hope its not another set of twins - I _love_ them, don’t get me wrong, but its so stressful.”

Prompto nods, remembering baby sitting when they were about six months old and even though Cal was down the hall with Ignis the twins had been more than a handful for both he and Noct. They’d just get one settled and the other would need something or one would cry for seemingly no reason at all and within minutes they’d both be working their little lungs as hard as possible.

“They’re double and triple checking this time, right?”

Gladio laughs again, “They better be.”

Together they approach the campfire and Daphne catches sight of her auntie Iris, wriggling around with her arms outstretched until Prompto hands her over.

“She walked,” Gladio tells Ana simply stooping for a kiss and a quick caress against her baby bump.

“She did not,” Ana retorts in disbelief, “Delphine will do a song and dance while I’m there and this one waits until my back is turned before she so much as _smiles_.” Ana turns to Prompto and says, “Please tell me -”

“I’ve got you,” Prompto assures her, already getting his camera ready to show her his pictures.

“You’re an angel,” Ana tells him and Prompto just waves away the compliment.

“Caladium Amicitia,” Gladio suddenly calls, “You do not run around by Uncle Iggy’s legs while he’s cooking.”

Cal freezes dead where he was just about to cross the threshold of the area they’d designated as the kitchen on their little campsite.

Delphine looks down at her brother from her perch and says, surprisingly severe in her warbling little voice, “No.”

Prompto has to try really hard not to laugh and is saved from the urge when hands snake around his waist making him jump almost clear out of his skin.

“Hey,” Noct says quietly in his ear, kissing him gently.

Prompto turns in his hold, “All done fishing?”

“We reeled in a little blue gil and Cal named it King Catfish and promptly announced we were done for the day,” Noct explains with a wide grin.

In the last couple years Noct’s developed these little creases by the corner of his eyes when he smiles really big. Prompto loves his husband's stupid, perfect face more and more every day.

“Such little respect for the King of Lucis,” Prompto teases.

Noct shrugs, “I like plain old Uncle Noct.”

Prompto tugs at the sweater Noct’s wearing - it’s technically Prompto’s but they gave up separating their casual clothes a long time ago - and pushes up on his tiptoes to steal a chaste but lingering kiss.

“I like him too,” Prompto says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I started planning this out I did not, in any way, expect the wedding to be the focus. And then this happened.  
> And if you’re worried about Iggy being alone in this I kind of just saw him as Ace and Aro in this? I dunno, I just think he would have been happy and fulfilled by meaningful relationships and interactions with his friends and family.  
> [All of Gladio’s children are named after plants - Prompto gets absolutely everything he wants in this AU. Everything.]


End file.
